Sunrider: The Novelization
by WS246
Summary: The Official Novelization as recognized by game developer Love in Space! One ship against the entire PACT Empire and their relentless and brutal expansion into the Neural Rim; join the Sunrider and her crew as they flee the annexation of their home world, make alliances, partners, and friends, and take the fight back to the PACT. Rated T for language and content.
1. Cera's Fall

Hi Everyone, quick foreword before my first chapter. First, I'd like to thank Love in Space for their outstanding work in producing Sunrider and their continued commitment to the project. Among the various games I've played this year, Sunrider has some of the most heart behind it and I'm excited to see how the rest of the story turns out. Space, Mecha, Anime Girls? What else could a person want? Anyhow, I'd also like to thank the folks who backed Love in Space financially; thanks to your contribution, people like me have been able to pick up Sunrider on a whim and find out just how fun the whole thing was. I'd also like to take the moment to add this disclaimer: I have no intellectual or financial claim on Sunrider. Taken from Love In Space's Kickstarter Campaign: "Love in Space gives you the right to use Sunrider in any other manner you want, with the only condition being you do not charge other people money for any part of Sunrider."

This project has been announced as an official collaboration project with Love in Space and is now the official novelization of Sunrider. You can read it on the main page and check out the awesome cover art if you're into that. Unfortunately, no italics anywhere but FanFiction since the formatting didn't carry over.

/novel/

Quick Q&A:

 **What the deuce is this drivel?**

Allow me to present to you my Sunrider novelization project. Some things are better expressed or explored through prose. I thought the writing for Sunrider was terrific, and it shows; I take a lot of the lines from the game in their entirety or original form. Having said that, the limitations of a visual novel need not apply to this particular form of expression, freeing me to further explore in exposition certain motivations, emotions, etc.

 **How is this remotely original? Your efforts are contemptuous and insulting to the game itself and I bite my thumb at thee!** **Oh, and you're too late! There's already a short novel of Sunrider!**

You thing of no bowels! Faith, I doest not write to usurp cannon or your enjoyment of the game. First, if you don't like reading, fee free to find another work of fanfiction that suits you; better yet, write your own. Second, my hope is to add original content, flesh out dialogue, etc. as appropriate. I've already written in excess of one hundred pages of single space material, so rest assured there will be some originality wherever I managed to squeeze some in between Sunrider's pretty tight narrative. As far as I know, only issue 1 of the Sunrider novel actually was released and its contents seemed to be quite different than the game's final product... sooo...

 **One hundred pages!? But I demand instant gratification; upload the rest at once!**

Ah, but that would be no fun! At any rate, I proofread pretty extensively so as to avoid mistakes, be they grammatical, spelling, or cannon. I'm planning on posting roughly one chapter a week, perhaps more depending on interest level/response. But rest assured, as of this moment, I've novelized up to the Mnemosyne Abyss, so you'll have plenty of reading to sink your teeth into.

 **Excuse me, but I noticed some MAJOR (minor) inconsistency between your writing and the actual game.**

I've done my best to stay true with what information is available to me through the game and the wiki and if there are any inconsistencies, please feel free to point them out, but I must warn you, the likelihood of me going back to fix them is a coin toss at best.

 **Your space battles seem too one sided, are you cheating?**

Maybe it's because I'm a better player than you, ever think about that? Huh? HUH? Ahem... Please excuse me. I've been novelizing the battles based on normal difficulty mode, occasionally shifting events slightly to reflect a more real-time narration flow versus the game's turn based mechanics. I usually have full forward active and I don't go for shots with less than a 40% chance of success unless I've got no better moves available to me. I don't save scum... much. Also, our upgrade choices may differ, leading to differing results.

 **How long are you going to keep talking; I'm here to read!**

Ah, yes... no clever comment for that. Please enjoy, leave a comment if you feel so kind. Stay posted for future chapters, which I promise will come regularly.

* * *

 **Chapter 1- Cera's Fall**

The sun beat down, hot on the black of Kayto Shield's Cera Space Force uniform. Some found the summer of Cera too warm for comfort, but Kayto preferred the summer's warmth to winter's grasp. Of course, many of the core worlds of the Solar Alliance had their major cities housed under climate controlled domes, allowing residents to live in perpetual comfort all year round. Cera had never gotten around to placing such a dome around Cera City, although there was constant talk of such a project.

In truth, although Cera enjoyed its status as one of the most technologically advanced and prosperous Neutral Rim worlds, its resources were still finite. Since the fall of the New Empire, Cera had been content to withdraw from the sphere of galactic politics, focusing on internal development and the creation of an independent navy designed to keep Cera safe from pirates and any overly ambitious neighbors. Weary of war and wary of the government, however, most Ceran citizens frowned upon proposals to expand their naval capabilities, arguing that neither the Solar Alliance nor the People's Alliance for Common Treatment (PACT) would tolerate a breach of the sovereign rights of the Neutral Rim planets which had, since their inception, maintained a tense peace between the two major galactic powers since the end of the Solar-Imperial War over a hundred years prior. To that end, the Ceran Space Force operated fewer than a dozen battleship class starships, three times as many battle cruisers, and a host of support frigates, which served as little more than launch platforms for Cera's modest Ryder wings.

Scanning the city line as a welcome, refreshing offshore breeze gently fingered his white hair, Kayto's pale, blue eyes took in Cera City's serene beauty one more time before what he expected would be a lengthy deployment. With PACT's recent aggression towards a number of Neutral Rim planets immediately bordering PACT controlled space, Cera Central Command had ordered all forces to return from their patrols and muster at Cera for possible defensive action. Although they were impossible to see with the naked eye, dozens of Cera's warships held defensive positions above the planet's atmosphere, keeping a watchful eye for any PACT interlopers. All ships not at one hundred percent combat readiness were ordered to achieve combat readiness ASAP, including the _Sunrider_ , the Cera Space Force's newest prototype warship and Captain Kayto Shield's first command.

While still in training at the Naval Academy's officer school, Kayto was approached by Admiral Koris's staff regarding a "unique opportunity." Without any additional details, his curiosity outweighing his misgivings, he had been whisked up to orbit to Central Command's orbital command station, _Tyr_. From there, the Admiral offered Kayto what was likely the quickest and least deserved rise in chain of command any commissioned officer in Cera Space Force's history had ever been given.

"I want you to captain the _Sunrider,_ " stated Admiral Koris bluntly, gesturing at the "window" of his office, from which Kayto could see a massive orbital dry dock cradling the frame of a starship unlike any other he had seen. "This is _not_ a joke."

Without cracking a smile and remaining deadpan as ever, the Admiral went on to explain that the _Sunrider_ was an experimental prototype ship being introduced to the Cera Space Force that would have the potential to revolutionize Cera's military forces once completed. Built around the Vanguard Cannon, the product of decades of research into and the refurbishing of a defunct Ryuvian warship found in low orbit of Cera's moon, the _Sunrider_ could potentially outgun any existing ship in the Cera Space Force, if the Vanguard Cannon worked. Combined with a novel design paradigm, the Assault Carrier, the _Sunrider_ would be one of the most versatile and flexible ships in active duty. Although intrigued enough about the potential asset the _Sunrider_ represented, the Admiral was a careful man and unwilling to bet the entirety of his already strained resources on a project with no guarantee of success.

Rather than commit veteran crew from active duty ships to years of potentially fruitless training, the Admiral had elected recruit directly from newly enlisted candidates. "Your file caught the attention of my staff," said Admiral Koris, bringing Kayto's personal dossier up on the holo projector. Kayto winced at the burning red "C" evaluation next to his personal information and picture. "Your formal test scores are entirely average to sub-par," stated the Admiral bluntly, no pity in his voice whatsoever. "However," his tone softened slightly as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards in a brief expression of amusement, "Your simulation scores are at the top of your class. You strike me as a man who can think on his feet, if not always with his brain. With a competent XO, you might just make a good captain."

Dazed and not entirely sure how to read the situation, Kayto said the only thing that seemed appropriate, "Sir, Thank You, Sir!"

* * *

Nearly four years later, against all odds, the _Sunrider_ had achieved completion. With the PACT breathing down their necks, the news could not come soon enough. Despite the tense situation, today would mark the _Sunrider's_ maiden voyage. The _Sunrider's_ crew left yesterday to relieve the engineering crews who were putting the finishing touches on _Sunrider's_ systems and to acclimate to their new ship. Officially, Kayto's captaincy had been kept under wraps by the Admiral's office for fear of the political repercussions of promoting a green naval officer to the position of Captain, aboard Cera's newest prototype warship no less. The Admiral, however, remained true to his word, presenting him with insignia bearing the winged four gold bars of his rank at a small, rushed ceremony that very morning.

"Captain! Control has cleared us for launch, but we can wait a moment if you like, Sir!" barked a nervous young shuttle pilot, barely younger than himself, saluting aggressively.

"Thank you, ensign," smiled Kayto as he turned, walking towards the shuttle's bat-like form as it crouched over the landing pad. "That won't be necessary, my sister did say it was unlikely she'd make it to see me off. Let's not hold anyone else up." Ducking under the overhead door of the shuttle, he strapped himself into a crash seat in the empty passenger compartment behind the pilot's seat.

A moment later, he heard the engines of the shuttle scream to life, ponderously lifting the craft off the landing pad and into the air. As he looked out the holoscreen masquerading as a window of an atmospheric craft, a white haired teenage girl burst onto the landing pad, squinting against the sudden bright of the sun, laughing and waving at his shuttle as it screamed away into the distance. Kayto smiled, touching the screen gently, sending distortion ripples through the holographic projection.

 _Take care of yourself, Kayto, we'll talk when you get back!_

Although it was impossible to tell what, if anything, his sister had yelled as the shuttle peeled away, some intuition in Kayto's mind let him know exactly what she had meant.

* * *

Cera hung in the blackness of space, a brilliant, blue pearl of breathtaking beauty on the holoscreen next to Kayto. After breaking atmosphere, the shuttle's journey became eerily smooth, as though the craft were gliding atop liquid mercury towards its destination. Beside the planet, individual starships, although in excess of 700 meters each, appeared as tiny, shining splinters. One of those splinters grew larger with each passing minute of their approach; the _Sunrider._

Leaning forward, Kayto spoke to the pilot, "What's our ETA ensign?"

"Twelve minutes, give or take, Sir. Bet you can't wait to see your girl, right Captain?" replied the pilot, a smile to his voice.

"I haven't seen Ava since high school..." said Kayto, "I bet she doesn't even remember me..."

Coughing, the pilot hastily covered a snort of laughter, "I meant the _Sunrider_ , not... the Commander."

"Oh." Kayto felt immensely grateful that his pilot was unable to turn around to see the crimson that crept into his light complexion. An awkward silence fell between the two men for a minute as Kayto took in the silhouette of the _Sunrider_.

Shaped like an arrowhead, the _Sunrider's_ rear was heavy with her four primary drive cores which provided her with sub-light and warp propulsion. Engineering and the _Sunrider's_ reactors added to the bulk of the ship's rear. Moving towards the prow of the ship, the _Sunrider_ tapered gracefully, her twelve Ryder launch bays, six on each side, spilling bright light from underneath her armored sides. During combat, blast doors would slide down from the armored sections once the Ryders had launched to prevent anyone from taking an easy shot at the _Sunrider_ , but when the bay doors were open, as they were now, their bright illumination revealed her shining, virgin hull, casting breathtaking shadows over the flak and pulse cannons studding her sides and her primary ship-to-ship Trinity laser banks. Atop the ship, the _Sunrider's_ six forward rail guns, the Saviors, pointed forward proudly, each of their 150 meter long barrels capable of accelerating a kinetic slug to 1.7% the speed of light. Although their accuracy dropped off precipitously at long range combat, any ship sustaining an impact from a full "broadside" from the _Sunrider's_ saviors was likely a dead ship.

Finally, at the prow of the ship, the _Sunrider's_ crowning achievement, the Vanguard Cannon, became apparent. A focused plasma weapon of devastating potential, the Vanguard Cannon used a series of magnetic "bubbles" to suspend super-heated plasma before accelerating it to relativistic speeds. According to the engineering specs he had received from the development team, the weapon had the potential to not only gut a single ship, but any other ships on the same vector of the cannon's discharge, at least until the plasma dissipated once released from magnetic containment. Powered an entirely separate secondary power plant, the Vanguard Cannon added to the _Sunrider's_ already fearsome combat prowess, although it's firing was limited by the long charge times between shots and limited supply of plasma.

"She's beautiful," remarked Kayto to himself, instantly taking a liking to his new command.

"Initiating docking protocols. We have green lights from the _Sunrider_ ," announced the pilot

Banking gently, the shuttle pilot took his passenger towards one of the _Sunrider's_ open landing bays on the hanger deck, passing underneath the _Sunrider's_ armored lateral hull. As none of the ship's Ryders had been transferred yet, _Sunrider's_ command and control directed the shuttle to bay 01. In combat situations, Ryders would launch via magnetized launch tubes and return via the same tubes, their magnetic systems allowing for braking and combat landings. In non-combat situations, however, the magnetic tubes would be powered down, requiring the shuttle to slow to almost a crawl as it passed from the freedom of open space to the confines of _Sunrider's_ interior.

* * *

"Docking complete, Sir," announced the pilot. "Launch tube doors closing... Hanger Bay 01 pressurized."

"Thank you, Ensign." Kayto dawdled for a moment.

"Was there something else, Sir?" asked the pilot.

"No need to mention what I said earlier to Commander Crescentia or any of the crew."

"Copy that," said the pilot, grinning ear to ear. "Don't worry, I'm based out of the _Bohemian Princess_ , just giving you a lift on one of our supply runs."

"Oh... it's my first day," sighed Kayto, mentally burying his face in his hands. _Smooth, Kayto, now you'll be the laughing stock of the Bohemian Princess too_.

"Captain on deck!" a stern woman's voice barked out. Immaculately dressed without a single wrinkle in her uniform, Ava Crescentia saluted crisply as Kayto's boots touched the steel deck of the hanger bay. "First Officer Commander Ava Crescentia, presenting for duty! Welcome aboard the _Sunrider_ , Captain Shields."

Kayto returned the salute, although his was a good deal more casual. Frowning slightly, he looked awkwardly at Ava, who remained firmly at attention, her back ram-rod straight, eyes boring a hole through the side of the shuttle he had just exited. "Uh... at ease...?" Slim of frame, Ava was almost as tall as he was. Her hair was soft and straight, falling down to her elbows in the back and framing her cherry eyes in the front. Although she had often complained in high school that her looks were plain, everything about her appearance was harmonious, each feature accentuating her beauty as opposed to outshining some other aspect. Were it not for her unfortunate tenancy to glare with alarming regularity, Kayto was certain she would have been one of the most sought after girls from their days in high school.

Apart from putting down her hand in salute, Ava remained unchanged. For a moment, he flashed back to the Ava he remembered from high school; true her hair was shorter then, but Ava looked almost unchanged otherwise. Of course, back then, as Student Council President, she was his immediate superior. A spasm of guilt and awkwardness writhed through his stomach, but he swallowed the sensation; whatever reasons the Admiral had chosen him to be captain over her, both of them needed to respect that decision and perform their duties.

"It's been a while, Ava," said Kayto, testing the waters gingerly. For a moment, it seemed a flicker of conflict passed behind his first officer's chestnut eyes and Kayto could have sworn the corners of her lips twitched upwards on her otherwise porcelain features.

"Same to you... Captain," replied Ava tersely.

 _Same old Ava..._ thought Kayto, sighing inwardly. "The last time we saw each other was at your graduation in high school. Funny how life works sometimes... I didn't think we'd be meeting again like this..."

"Neither did I, Sir."

"Listen," said Kayto, throwing caution to the winds, "let's not make this awkward. I'll be counting on you from now on Ava."

"Understood, Captain," said Ava with a salute.

"I'm not sure you understand..." sighed Kayto.

"Sir?"

"The whole 'Captain' thing... it's bizarre hearing you call me that. Call me Kayto, I'll call you Ava. It'll be just like old times."

"It's proper protocol for a First Officer, is it not?" asked Ava, glaring at him.

"I... uhh... fine. Look, don't you think it would be weird if I called you 'Ava' and you called me 'Captain' all the time?"

"I..." Ava's lips pursed, "I... suppose first name basis would be fine so long as there are no crew and we're off duty."

"That's fine," agreed Kayto, taking what he could get. "I'm glad you skipped the welcoming ceremony, by the way."

"Since Central Command issued Condition Orange, I ordered the crew to continue readying _Sunrider's_ systems for her test runs with all haste," explained Ava. "Section 14, article 5, exceptions to standard naval protocols."

"Uhh..." Kayto scratched his head, bemused, "If you say so. I'm just glad I didn't have to make a speech or anything."

"Hmm," grunted Ava with a frown.

"Condition Orange, huh? Shoot first, questions later... Command must be getting worried. Alright, Ava, let's do our part. We'll start the test runs as soon as engineering reports ready."

Ava nodded, "They'll still need a half hour or so. We can tour the _Sunrider_ in the meantime."

* * *

"Saved the best for last, huh, Ava?"

Kayto and Ava stepped out of the lift onto _Sunrider's_ observation deck, silent and abandoned. Kayto was grateful for the moment of peace; the interval time had been spent touring _Sunrider's_ other facilities, including the Combat Information Center, crew quarters, engineering, and the sickbay, and meeting his new crew. The _Sunrider's_ crew had been working double time to clear the ship for launch from orbital dry dock, giving the entire ship a generally hectic and claustrophobic atmosphere. Even with all crew present, the _Sunrider_ seemed as though it was being manned with barely more than a skeleton crew; roughly ninety naval officers of varying ranks and duties, essential to the running of the ship and its operations, triple the number of engineers and technicians, three dozen marines, who saw to ship security, and a host of civilian contractors and other ancillary staff. With less than half of the crew of a vessel of equivalent tonnage, the majority of _Sunrider's_ advanced systems were designed for autonomy, with menial or hazardous duties such as waste management and hull repair left to semi-autonomous drones under the supervision of only a handful of human crew members.

Mind abuzz with dozens of names and new faces he was sure to forget, Kayto found the silence and ambiance of the observation deck welcoming in the extreme.

The highest point on the ship relative to its artificial gravity settings, the observation deck overlooked the prow of the ship, opening into the wide expanse of space. Subtle lighting, almost to the point of non-existence allowed the reflected light from Cera to handle most of the illumination, creating one of the most breathtaking views of the _Sunrider_ Kayto had seen since leaving atmosphere. Walking out to the center of the deck, Kayto felt a sudden surge of disequilibrium and panic, exhilarating and terrifying in equal parts, as he felt his balance swept away by the wash of starlight and the emptiness of space before him.

"Wow..." he whispered as he closed his eyes.

"It's something else, isn't it Sir- Kayto?" asked Ava, advancing towards the view more cautiously.

Kayto nodded, "They say humanity once sailed the oceans of our birth world in tiny vessels of wood, no larger than one of our atmospheric fliers. This... must have been what it felt like for them too."

"Perhaps," said Ava, clearly humoring him. "At any rate, the observation deck serves as a last resort navigational platform should the _Sunrider_ engage in silent-running or if she sustains catastrophic systems failure to navigation."

"Cheerful," remarked Kayto. "I'm glad they didn't put the actual CIC up here; the view is spectacular, but something tells me this isn't the safest part of the ship during combat."

Ava shrugged, "The price of an actual view of space. All of the other 'windows' we passed are holoscreens that project the view based on external telemetry. They're more for psychological health than anything. Anyways, it's not like anyone could see anything other than several meters of metal plate out of an actual porthole with _Sunrider's_ hull and armor between us and the sky. This deck is the exception."

"Please tell me the windows are armored; I'd hate for the view to get spoiled by any action we see."

Ava sighed, "Of course they are; when the ship goes to Red Alert, armored plating will automatically shield this deck the same way as our launch tubes seal once the Ryders have launched."

"Speaking of which, I didn't see any when we docked. This _is_ an assault carrier isn't it?" frowned Kayto.

"We're expecting our Ryder wing to transfer in two days; seems like some of the more distant patrols had some engine trouble on their way back home. Since the _Sunrider_ hasn't officially received its commission, all available Ryders were tasked to combat ready ships on the defense cordon. For that matter, a ship doctor and chief engineer will probably also need to wait until we receive our commission."

"Makes sense..." sighed Kayto. As he gripped the hand rail of the ship and watched Cera spin beneath them, he eyed Ava out of the corner of his eye. Although her expression remained hard as ever, it seemed like there would be precious little time for quiet and privacy in the coming days and now seemed as good of a time as any. A dozen questions he had for her jockeyed for priority as he tried to sort through the general confusion of his feelings. Here they were, reunited after almost five years of complete silence; clearly she still remembered him, but how she felt was a different story entirely. It had been completely impossible to read her since he had come aboard and, although their reunion had not gone as spectacularly bad as some of the scenarios he had imagined, what had transpired gave him no indication of her feelings or intentions at all. Whatever Ava thought of him, she had chosen to hide it behind a cold wall of professionalism and detachment; in other words, typical Ava.

"Hey... Ava..." started Kayto, locking eyes with her and fumbling slightly, but deciding to say something, even if it was the wrong thing.

 _Beep Beep_

Ava held his gaze for one and a half heart beats, inscrutable in expression, before raising her cuff to her lips. "This is First Officer Crescentia, go ahead."

"Ma'am, engineering reports reactor shakedown is nearly complete. All other systems are green, we'll be ready for launch in half an hour," buzzed one of the bridge crew.

"Roger that, good work. The Captain and I are on our way to the CIC now," said Ava into her cuff before lowering her arm back to her side. Wordlessly, she turned and strode back to the lift, her chestnut hair swishing behind her.

Sighing, Kayto followed suit, stowing his questions for the moment. Behind him, the stars twinkled serenely as ever as the lift doors whisked shut.

* * *

Nestled deep within the armored core of the ship, _Sunrider's_ CIC was a hive of activity. Various bridge crew operated a number of computer consoles and tactical displays set along the walls of the circular room. Kayto and Ava stepped off the lift, Ava announcing "Captain on deck!"

Returning the bridge crew's salutes, Kayto said, "At ease, carry on," gesturing for them to return to their duties. With Ava, he walked to the center of the room, taking in the array of holoscreens and projectors that dropped down from the ceiling around his crash seat that constituted the Captain's station. To his right, Ava took her seat at the XO's station, a near identical mimic of his own. In front of them, towards the ship's prow, a massive holoscreen projected the view of space in front of the ship, coming close to, but not quite the same as the view as the one they had on the observation deck. Before them, Cera hung serenely with her entire navy maintaining high orbit. Dozens of capital ship engines burned a bright blue, ready for combat maneuvers at a movement's notice. Suddenly, Kayto felt extremely self-conscious; it appeared nearly the entire Cera Space Force would be present for their trial run. Given the fact that the _Sunrider_ had already generated a degree of interest and controversy within the fleet, a failed trial run would have impact for months to come.

"Captain," Ava's voice interrupted his thought, "I think it would be appropriate to address the crew before we undergo the _Sunrider's_ maiden voyage."

"Of course, put me through Commander," answered Kayto, swallowing and trying to suppress his apprehension. First words often set a lasting impression and Kayto realized his captaincy, though officially recognized by the chain of command, had little weight or respect beyond formalities until he could prove to the crew that he deserved their trust.

"Attention all hands, the Captain would like a word," Ava's voice boomed loudly through the entire ship's PA system.

Lifting his cuff to his mouth, he muttered a quick command to be patched through to ship-wide PA.

"This is Captain Kayto Shields speaking. I want to first say that it is my privilege to serve aboard the _Sunrider_ with all of you. The maiden voyage of Cera Space Force's newest ship deserves more than we can afford today at Condition Orange, but I know all of you will perform your duties admirably. Nearly the entire fleet's gathered here and we're about to sail right past them and show off what we've got... Let's not mess this one up people."

The bridge crew erupted into snickers and chortles of good humor, quickly silenced by Ava's glare as Kayto cut his link with the ship's PA system. "What? Come on, Commander, a good laugh and high spirits aren't against protocol."

Ava only shook her head. "All hands, this is Commander Crescentia. Prepare for-"

A shrill alarm klaxon rang out through CIC, interrupting Ava's orders.

"Captain! Sensors are picking up multiple contacts; warp signatures, bearing zero-eight by nine-nine!" called out one of the bridge crew.

The cheerful atmosphere of the bridge dissolved instantly as the crew sprang into action, manning their respective stations. While Ava fielded incoming reports and barked orders in rapid succession, Kayto's head snapped towards his tactical display as two dozen contacts resolved on screen.

"Sensors confirm, Captain; new contacts are flying PACT transponders!" announced Ava, turning towards him. "The bulk of their forces are on intercept vectors with our fleet in orbit, but it looks like two of them are breaking off towards us!"

"Red Alert! All hands to battle stations!" ordered Kayto coolly, his training kicking in and overriding any panic or disorientation he might have felt otherwise.

The CIC plunged into red and a wailing siren reverberated through the ship as Ava spoke overhead. "All hands, report to battle stations. This is not a drill. I repeat; not a drill."

"Those ships are moving too quickly to be PACT battleships, do we have sensor readings on them yet?" asked Kayto to one of the bridge crew.

"Captain! Sensor silhouette matches PACT frigate class ships, getting visual now. I'm... I'm detecting a thermal spike from both contacts!" came the reply.

"All ahead, give me flank speed now!" barked Kayto, his heart pounding. On the forward view screen, the PACT missile frigates came into view, their crimson hulls unmistakably identifying them as PACT naval warships. The PACT navy relied heavily upon such vessels, barely 300 meters in length and little more than a warp engine with as many missile launchers that could be fitted to the ship. Cheap and expendable, the missile frigate was an appropriate embodiment of the PACT naval doctrines, which emphasized superior numbers and coordination to overwhelm any technological edge. Although individual missile frigates were vulnerable to more heavily armed ships of similar tonnage, their light armor and explosive ordinance made them nimble foes which could overwhelm superior enemies by sheer number and weight of attack.

"Captain!" protested Ava, "Reactor shakedown is incomplete; the reactors could destabilize catastrophically!"

"No choice, those are missile frigates," said Kayto grimly as the crewmen worked furiously to coordinate with engineering. "Those thermal signatures were probably missile launches, they're trying to kill us while we're still docked. What's our weapons status?"

"Limited," replied Ava grimly, "The Vanguard Cannon hasn't charged yet, but our other systems are theoretically green."

"Theoretically?"

"Captain, we haven't even completed our reactor and engine tests, never mind weapon and munitions checks," retorted Ava.

"No time like the present..."

The entire structure of the _Sunrider_ began to shake, a troublesome sign in a vessel of her tonnage, and her superstructure groaned as her engines roared to life, pushing to overcome her massive inertia. Kayto gritted his teeth; halting reactor shakedown partway and activating the engines already risked blowing the entire ship to hell, never mind ramping up to flank speed from naught, but the _Sunrider_ had no choice. Undoubtedly, dozens of PACT missiles already streaked towards their coordinates. Ordinarily, a single missile salvo, though damaging, would not threaten a ship the size of _Sunrider_ , however, with all the starship fuel and combustible ordinance stored in the dry dock around the ship, _Sunrider's_ cradle would very well turn into its funeral pyre.

"Incoming missile salvo starboard side!" announced Ava, her voice steady despite their situation.

"All starboard flak cannons, fire!" ordered Kayto, feeling the reverberations through his ship as her flak cannons came to life, filling the space to her starboard side with hundreds of computer-assist aimed explosive rounds.

"Seventy percent intercept!" shouted a crew member.

"Minor hull damage," reported Ava, scrolling through the automated report generated by the ship's electronic nervous system. "See-?"

"We're not out of the woods yet," said Kayto grimly, cutting her off. "Helmsman, get us out of here, now! If those bastards staggered their salvos, they'll overwhelm our point defense guns; all they need is a lucky hit to the dry dock; she wasn't built to take this kind of punishment."

The _Sunrider_ pulled forward, engines roaring as she accelerated out of the dry dock painfully slowly. Multiple tethers and feedlines snapped as she tore loose from her moorings, clouds of crystallized gasses and fuel billowing from her severed connections. Not a moment after she cleared the dry dock's final strut, multiple PACT missiles, their chemical thrusters burning angrily, slammed into the skeletal structure of the dock, detonating ferociously.

Inside the _Sunrider_ , Kayto gripped the arm of the command chair tightly as the entire ship shook like something possessed. "Aft cameras!"

A blazing inferno belched forward, blasting twisted metal debris towards the _Sunrider_ from the fiery demise of her space dock, although it was impossible to tell how close the explosion was to touching the ship herself.

"Temperature rising on aft sensors," reported Ava through gritted teeth, her cool exterior cracking slightly. "Now falling... multiple superficial impacts on aft sections, no hull breaches."

Kayto breathed out, chest tight and painful, having forgotten to let go of his last breath. "Bring us about starboard, bearing five-four by zero-nine. Let's give them some payback!"

"Trinity lasers report ready to fire, Captain," said Ava, "Shall I order the attack?"

Kayto thought for a moment. True, the Trinity laser banks on the _Sunrider_ would be able to land a hit on the PACT missile frigates at this range, however, their firing would divert precious power from their engines. "No, hold off for now. Let's close the gap while they're still reloading their tubes. Full power to engines."

"Distance closing, one hundred kilometers, ninety, eighty..." said Ava, counting down their distance gap.

"Fire Saviors! Target the lead ship" barked Kayto. Six solid reverberations echoed through the ship as her massive Savior cannons discharged, sending their kinetic slugs streaking towards the forward PACT missile frigate.

On screens, Kayto saw four of the six slugs land hits, tearing massive holes into the hull of the missile frigates. With the sheer kinetic energy imparted by their mass and velocity, the entire hull of the frigate seemed to fracture apart as it spun from the force of the Savior slugs' impact. Secondary explosions chained through the ship as its ordinance detonated, leaving behind a twisted, flaming wreak.

"Lead missile frigate confirmed sunk, Captain. Rear frigate firing," warned Ava.

"Flak cannons on my mark," ordered Kayto, eyeing his tactical display as the missiles streaked closer. "Now!"

Multiple explosions lit up the space between the _Sunrider_ and the remaining PACT vessel as her missiles slammed into a wall of flak.

"Missile impacts, minor damage sustained," reported Ava.

"Let's tear them a new one," ordered Kayto. "Trinity lasers, fire!"

As _Sunrider_ barreled towards the final PACT missile frigate, her Trinity laser banks discharged, blue beams lancing ahead of the ship, literally melting through the other ship's thinly armored hull. Venting atmosphere and fire from a dozen wounds, the frigate listed to port before its reactor containment failed, consuming the ship in a miniature nova.

"Contacts... neutralized, sensors clear," announced Ava as the bridge crew exchanged nervous grins.

"Always the tone of surprise," grumbled Kayto with a grin of his own. Following his lead, the bridge crew burst into a brief, but spirited cheer; even Ava cracked a smile which she quickly hid with a shake of her head.

"Incoming transmission from the fleet, Captain," she declared.

"Captain Shields... I was about to call to see if you boys and girls needed any help, but it looks like you've got the situation handled," said Admiral Koris. A holographic projection of the man appeared in front of Kayto and Ava, as though the Admiral, himself, stood in front of them.

"Thank you, Sir. I believe the _Sunrider_ is combat ready," answered Kayto with a smile.

"Not too bad for a bunch of schoolkids," replied the Admiral, although his expression was a degree softer than usual. "At least it'll put to rest some of the controversy. Your assessment is duly noted, Captain Shields. Bring the _Sunrider_ into formation with the rest of the fleet; I doubt those ships were anything more than a scouting party for the PACT."

"Roger that," said Kayto as the Admiral's image dissolved.

As the _Sunrider_ fell into the rendezvous coordinates with the rest of the Ceran Space Force, Kayto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If the PACT was sending combat groups with orders to open fire without parlay, it was likely that the engagement was only a prelude to the larger conflict for Cera. Although the Cera Space Force had performed admirably against the interlopers, Kayto wondered how many victories against the bottomless arsenal of the PACT it would take for Cera to retain its rights to neutrality. Still, a victory was a victory; Kayto would leave the long term strategies to the Admiral and his staff.

"Two missile frigates down with barely a scratch on the _Sunrider_. Not too shabby for a first day Ava."

"Hmph," grunted Ava, although a grim, predatory smile graced her lips. "Don't get ahead- Alert! New warp signatures detected just outside weapons range!" she cried.

On the forward view screen, Kayto saw space twist apart as a second PACT fleet dropped out of warp, seemingly appearing out of the vacuum of space. Nearly five times the number of missile frigates from before suddenly filled the skies, making a beeline for the Ceran ships on their perpendicular.

"Bastards!" muttered Kayto, clenching a fist. With a rock forming in his gut, he realized the first wave of PACT ships had simply been a distraction, meant to position the Ceran fleet at a disadvantaged stance with their lateral profiles wide open for attack. "Bring us about starboard, flank speed!"

All around them on the main screen, Kayto saw the other ships begin to break formation, their engines blazing as their captains also maneuvered to minimize the profile of their ships against the forward attacking missile frigates.

"What the hell is that!?" demanded one of the CIC crew as another ship dropped out of warp into the PACT formation.

"Holy Ryuvia..." said Ava in a hushed tone.

On the main screen, the largest ship Kayto had ever laid eyes upon appeared. Completely dwarfing the missile frigates next to it, the new ship was easily four times longer than any battleship Kayto had ever seen operated. The same crimson red as the rest of the PACT fleet, the new ship was a monstrosity of armor plate, bristling with laser banks and missile pods. At it's prow, the entire ship opened up, exposing a gaping maw that Kayto surmised was the business end of the ship. Along it's lateral sides, in massive lettering, the ship's name summed up it's combat prowess in a single word: _Legion_.

"Report! I don't remember reading anything about the PACT having anything that... that... huge!" he exclaimed, as Ava scrolled through multiple reports on her view screens.

"Intelligence is reports that the _Legion_ is a PACT super-dreadnought; she's the personal flagship of Veniczar S. Arcadius! That ship's three kilometers in length and armed with enough weapons to take out a fleet three times our size by herself!" answered Ava. "Captain, Command has ordered a general retreat; all ships are ordered to fall back immediately; the Prime Minister's office has been advised to offer immediate unconditional surrender!"

Kayto ground his teeth for the nth time since the PACT had arrived in system. If the intelligence was true, there was little the Cera Space Force could do to protect the planet itself. Certainly, the monstrosity of a ship that was the _Legion_ left little doubt as to the authenticity of the report.

"All power to starboard shielding, remove all electronic safeties and overload our emitters! Divert all critical systems from starboard routing, now!" barked Kayto as the behemoth's weapon embankments glowed a hellish red.

"Sir?" asked a crewman, balking and turning pale at the order.

"NOW!"

Dozens of red laser beams streaked forth from the _Legion_ , catching the Ceran navy in devastating lateral strike. Kayto felt his entire body shake as the _Sunrider_ sustained multiple laser hits to her starboard side. The ship rattled and pitched as lights flickered in the CIC; multiple warnings and alarms blared and his entire command station turned a bloody red with reports of catastrophic systems damage and failure. Sparks flew and a number of _Sunrider's_ control systems simply froze or turned off. From the corner of his eye, Kayto saw one of his screens showing the ship's electronic nervous system having the human equivalent of a massive seizure from the feedback in her shielding. Clenching the arm of his crash seat, which had automatically deployed a restraint harness around his body, he forced his attention to the main screen as the fleet around the _Sunrider_ took similar hits to their flanks.

Not every ship was as lucky as _Sunrider_ , if she could be called such a thing. Kayto watched in horror as Cera's proudest battleships belched fire and atmosphere from jagged rends in their armored hulls, listing helplessly; more than one ship simply detonated or broke apart, unable to tolerate the devastation visited upon their superstructures by the _Legion's_ attack. Still, his own ship appeared to be in one piece, which was a miracle in of itself.

"Damage report!" he yelled over the wailing din of multiple alarms.

"Battleships _Gallant_ and _Bohemian Princess_ have been sunk, all hands lost! The _Fearless_ has sustained severe damage, all hands abandoning ship!" reported Ava, disbelief in her voice. Her eyes lost focus for a moment as she skimmed an updated report a moment later. "...Captain, it's a complete rout; we've lost over 75% of the fleet in that single strike."

Kayto felt the world slow and as though the wind had been punched out of him. The nearly the entire Cera Space Force annihilated in a single salvo? It seemed unreal.

"Captain! Energy spike detected, more massive than before; the _Legion's_ charging up for another attack!" yelled Ava.

"All hands, brace for impact!" yelled Kayto as the _Legion's_ primary laser cannon discharged from it's prow.

A hellish flared across the main screen, drowning out everything else as the _Legion's_ laser scythed across the remnants of the Ceran fleet. Two battleships caught in the path of the attack simply vaporized, their outlines visible for a fraction of a heartbeat before atomizing. With horror, Kayto realized that the _Legion's_ true target lay beyond: Cera City itself. As though in slow motion, the laser beam hit Cera's atmosphere, refracting downwards towards the peninsula he grew up on. Although they were too far to see any details of Cera City beyond the gray-silver smudge that represented the planet's largest metropolis, the laser strike's effects were anything but subtle. As the red died from the main screen, Kayto saw a cloud blasting into the atmosphere and away from the impact site, the ash and dust of the entire city and its ten million inhabitants, thrown into the wind in a single moment. Transfixed in equal parts horror and terror, Kayto saw that the entire peninsula had been reduced to a glowing, cherry-red crater with molten rock and metal jetting hundreds of feet into the air.

Slumping forward in his chair, Kayto felt his hands shake and tasted bile in his mouth.

"Captain!" screamed Ava, her voice sounding as shaken as he felt.

In an instant, he crashed back to reality and to the wailing alarms and red lights of his stricken warship.

"Hull breaches in half a dozen sections, our armor's practically been stripped off the starboard side, hull integrity poor! Starboard weapons and defenses inoperable, shields overloaded! Ship electronic systems are almost completely offline. Captain, we can't take another hit like that!" continued Ava, face pale.

"What's our tactical situation?"

"All contact lost with Command and I'm not getting anything from Cera City. Captain, what's left of the fleet is breaking formation, we'll be overrun if we stay!"

Kayto breathed out deeply, pushing the crashing waves of fear, revulsion, and disbelief aside. Whatever the situation on Cera's surface, the _Sunrider_ , and by proxy, he, had no power to provide protection or assistance in the face of such overwhelming odds.

"What are your orders, Captain? CAPTAIN?!" screamed Ava.

As her wild gaze locked his, he saw a single tear tracking its way down the side of her face. In that moment, Kayto felt the full weight of his command upon his shoulders, finally understanding the burden of his rank and responsibility. The lives of his crew against their duty to the people of Cera; Kayto knew what duty demanded, but at that moment, all that mattered was getting his crew out of the situation alive. However many, if any, lives they might save by staying to face the PACT onslaught, he would figure out another day; for now, it would have to be enough to save the lives of his crew.

Heart pounding in his throat, Kayto yelled his order, damning the consequences for another day. "Fall back, spool up our warp drive, emergency warp protocols to our fallback coordinates!"

Ava looked stunned for a moment, before discipline kicked in, hardening her features. "Navigator, enter the fallback coordinates. Helmsman, spool up our warp dive, prepare for emergency warp on the Captain's mark."

As he looked to his burning homeworld, Kayto clenched his fists. He refused to allow this to be the end; somehow, someway he would find a way to come back. One day, Kayto swore, the PACT would leave Cera, and the _Sunrider_ would be the one driving them out. "Mark!" shouted Kayto as his displays confirmed sufficient oscillation velocity in the ship's warp drive.

 _Sunrider's_ main screen showed a shower of missiles and lasers raining from the PACT fleet, streaking towards what was left of the Cera Space Force, the planet beneath them blazing angrily. A fraction of a second later, the sensor feed cut out abruptly as _Sunrider_ entered warp, the entire CIC silent apart from the wailing of alarms, as though the ship herself was crying out for the lost on the crew's behalf.


	2. Asaga

**Chapter 2- Asaga**

Ava sat at a table in the _Sunrider's_ mess hall alone, save for the company of a glowing holo and a steaming mug of coffee; her third that shift. Since initiating an emergency warp to flee the destruction at Cera, the _Sunrider_ had been traveling slowly at sub-light speed, scanning endlessly into the night and making for the last fallback coordinates issued by Central Command at the beginning of what the crew was now calling "Cera's Last Stand."

Part of the issue was the massive damage _Sunrider_ had sustained during the battle, the other part of it was the nature of warp travel itself. Virtually all interstellar travel depended on the warp engine, a relic of humanity's distant past that likely predated even the Holy Ryuvian Empire. Every ship capable of such travel mounted an extremely large and elaborate series of drive rings, proportional to the mass of the ship being taken into warp. Hull design differed among the different manufacturers and time periods of the galaxy, but the _Sunrider's_ design with internalized warp drives was currently the most prevalent kind of ship hull observed. Transitioning to warp was not an effort undertaken lightly, as any number of disastrous outcomes could be precipitated by a botched jump.

Most commercial and civilian vessels would take the time to clear any strong local influence from gravity, plodding along at sub-light speeds with conventional fusion drives until reaching open space. Jumps any closer to gravitational bodies typically resulted in increased "drift" or inaccuracies in navigation that could land a ship weeks away from their original destination, necessitating either another costly warp jump or weeks drifting along at snail's pace using sub-light engines. It was due to this particular quirk of warp travel that the _Sunrider_ had exited warp several days away from the fallback coordinates, having initiated an emergency jump while still trapped in Cera's gravity well.

Once clear of any strong gravitational influences, civilian ships would slowly begin to accelerate their warp rings, a process informally referred to as "spooling up" the drive, either to maximize the longevity of their warp drives or because of their lower tolerance specifications. Military and other high performance spacecraft, however, incorporated drive designs with far higher tolerances and performance than the typical merchant cargo ship, allowing for much more rapid, if not near instantaneous warp transitions at the cost of additional maintenance and the inherent risks of suffering catastrophic warp drive failure.

Due to the strain on her systems, both from combat and the emergency warp, for the last week, the entire crew of the _Sunrider_ , officers included, had been pulling double shifts to shore up the ship's integrity, bypass damaged systems, and restore the ship to something almost like combat-ready status.

Lifting the mug of tar-black liquid to her lips, Ava took a sip, half-appreciatively, half-apprehensively, shuddering as she swallowed. At least the coffee was hot; the first two days after the _Sunrider_ dropped out of emergency warp, so many of her systems had been compromised that all non-essential ship functions were suspended, so as to devote full resources towards the repair of their vessel. Compared to the stone cold coffee that they'd had when they first arrived, her current beverage was an improvement... marginally. The situation had improved in other aspects of ship function since as well, although _Sunrider_ remained questionably combat-ready; there was only so much repair the crew could attend to in deep space without the assistance of a space dock's infrastructure. So desperate were some of their repairs that the crew had even taken to dismantling certain munitions and drones for spare electronics and parts to replace every manner of overloaded, fried, or simply destroyed starship component.

Flicking through her holo as the coffee blasted away her fatigue into a foggy discomfort somewhere in the back of her mind, Ava assessed the _Sunrider's_ increasingly dire supply and munitions stocks, tenuous tactical situation, and complete lack of support or orders from Central Command. Although they had all been initially hopeful of regrouping with what remained of the Cera Space Forces, no other ships had arrived at the coordinates since the _Sunrider_ arrived. Harrowing as their escape from Cera was, it appeared the _Sunrider_ had been uniquely fortuitous in avoiding destruction or capture at the hands of the PACT, for better or worse. With each day that passed, Ava's hope for finding other survivors of the battle diminished as her fears of falling afoul a PACT patrol grew. Combined with the fact that the _Sunrider_ had been outfitted with only the minimum of supplies and munitions in the rush to launch, Ava was not optimistic about their odds of survival if the PACT came calling.

Looking around the canteen, she sampled the general atmosphere. Most of the men and women of _Sunrider_ looked exhausted, but the entire crew was calm and focused. Judging from her observations and hearsay from some o the other ship officers, Kayto's stunt in orbit over Cera seemed to have won him the confidence of his crew. Overloading the shield emitters had arguably saved their lives during the _Legion's_ onslaught, however, Kayto undoubtedly knew the risks of doing so. Half their systems were fried by feedback from that particular trick, a lucky outcome considering _Sunrider_ could have as easily melted herself, electrocuted her crew, or simply vaporized all of them if the overload had managed to become self-feeding from the ship's central power and reactor systems. In retrospect, however, the gamble had paid off, allowing _Sunrider_ to avoid the fate of the rest of Cera's fleet. The possibility of death weighed against certain death... Kayto's assessment of the situation had been spot on and he had shown the backbone to gamble on an unorthodox, albeit effective maneuver that had saved the ship. Ava shuddered; it wasn't the kind of decision she envied, but, perhaps, that was why he was Captain and she was his First Officer.

Even with their damaged ship and the fall of their entire world, the crew continued to attend to their duties, confident that the Captain had some other idea up his sleeve that would set things right. Ava wasn't as sure. Swirling her coffee, she braced herself and knocked back the remainder in two rapid gulps. Rising and walking out of the mess hall, she tucked her pad under her arm and dropped her mug onto a conveyor belt carrying the dishes back into _Sunrider's_ robotic kitchens. Time to find out whether Kayto really did have a plan for _Sunrider_. In retrospect, she thought, he probably did have one; just one she wouldn't like.

* * *

Kayto set down his stylus, sighing deeply and shaking the weariness out of his wrist, looking out at the large holoscreen that simulated a two story window in his quarters. Spacious and tastefully furnished, the Captain's quarters appeared more like a luxury apartment in Cera City's central district than a warship's accommodations. The entrance to his quarters lead to an upper level balcony that doubled as his office and study. Behind his desk, a series of stairs descended to his personal space, opening into an efficient minimalistic parlor and bedroom.

"Computer, save Captain's report."

"Report saved," affirmed the computer.

Leaning back in his chair, Kayto closed his eyes, rubbing at the puffy skin beneath them. Sleep had been nigh impossible, a series of nightmares and an exercise in tossing and turning. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on perspective, the sheer amount of work and responsibility over the last week kept his mind completely occupied, without a moment's rest for self-pity or self-recrimination. For this, Kayto was grateful. One day, he knew the pain of the fall of Cera, the destruction of his home city, and all the rest would come for him with a vengeance, but, today, all that mattered was that his crew needed him and that his duty remained the protection of the sovereign people of Cera. With those two duties on his shoulders, Kayto had all the reason he needed to continue pushing ahead, rather than to look back.

 _'Bing Bing'_ chimed his quarter's doorbell.

"Come in," answered Kayto, straightening and pushing his weariness to the wayside.

Ava stepped into his quarters, the door hissing shut behind her.

"Captain." Ava saluted crisply.

"Have a seat, Ava," offered Kayto, too tired to fight her on the first name basis argument again. As his First Officer sat, Kayto studied the dark circles under her eyes, surmising that her fatigue likely exceeded his own. "Any news of the fleet?"

"None," answered Ava, characteristically blunt. "It may be dangerous to continue holding our position at these coordinates. If a PACT patrol were to find us... let's just say they might finish the job the _Legion_ set out to do."

"You're suggesting we give up our search?" asked Kayto, arching an eyebrow.

"Long range sensors have shown no Cera transponders since we arrived at the fallback coordinates. What's left of Cera's government surrendered and was dissolved six days ago. Most likely, whatever remains of the fleet has either been impressed into service for the PACT or gone rogue. Sir, we have no standing orders from the fleet or government since the fall of Cera and we're unlikely to get any no matter how long we wait here. Also, our contingency plans may no longer be secure after the PACT took over. Waiting here becomes more dangerous by the day."

"So you would have us go rogue too?" asked Kayto, staring out at the simulated stars on the holoscreen.

Across the desk, Ava only shrugged. "The entire crew is looking to you for direction now. That was some quick thinking back at Cera, overloading our shields on one side and rerouting our systems. The crew knows who to thank that this ship is still in one piece, but that trust will erode with fear and uncertainty. We can't just sit around waiting for orders that may never come... for better or worse, we're no longer bound to the Cera Space Force by any authority remaining."

Kayto mulled over her words for a minute before replying. "Ava, tell me, what's a ship without a flag?"

Crossing her arms, Ava answered, "A pirate ship."

"This isn't a pirate ship. And I'm no pirate captain."

Sighing, Ava rolled her eyes. "I'm not suggesting we turn to pirating, Kayto!" she said in an exasperated tone, feeling he was missing the point.

"I know," he reassured her, "But so long as I'm Captain, _Sunrider_ will fly Cera's flag. So long as we keep that transponder active, we'll always be men and women of Cera Space Force."

"That's fine, but it doesn't really solve any of our immediate problems out here in the middle of nowhere in PACT controlled space," pointed out Ava, cutting back to reality.

"The PACT won't get away with what they did to our home..." Kayto balled his hand into a fist on the bureau between them. "We're going to take the fight to them."

"With respect, we're one ship." Ava's tone was blunt and skeptical.

"We'll find allies," insisted Kayto, trying to sell his plan. "We're not the only neutral world conquered by the PACT. We'll find others like us, regroup and build a fleet, and, when we're ready, liberate our worlds, one by one, from the PACT."

Ava tapped her thin lips thoughtfully. "It sounds like you've already given this... 'plan' some thought."

Kayto smiled wryly, "I gave it a shot. Hey come on, it'll be like old times."

Ava sighed, raising a hand to her brow, half-amused and half-exasperated. "If it's going to be like back then, it's a good thing they made me your First Officer. I don't even want to _think_ about what kind of trouble you'd cause without me to clean up your messes.

"Just a minute!" laughed Kayto, "Is that _all_ you can remember of me from high school?"

"What _I_ remember is that you were one of the most frustrating people I had to deal with as student council president," bit back Ava, although her tone lightened half a shade. "I'll thank you to remember the time you installed that anti-gravity device in the student council office. I don't think we ever got things to look like before again."

Kayto chuckled appreciatively, "Oh that little thing. Come on, you had a good laugh about it afterwards didn't you?"

"No."

Kayto closed his eyes happily, indulging in revisiting their shared past for a moment while the mood, at least on his end, remained light.

Shaking her head, Ava brought them back to the topic on hand. "It's not a bad idea, I'll give you that. But _Sunrider_ needs a little more than deep space repairs before we'll be in any shape to seriously take on the PACT again. We're going to need repairs at a space dock. We're also bone dry on missiles and munitions for our flak cannons and the Saviors, never mind virtually every other kind of supply this ship needs."

Kayto nodded, opening his eyes and turning serious again. "I know, I read the same reports you do... we're not exactly flush with options are we? Our best bet is probably to lay into safe harbor at one of the Neutral Rim worlds off the beaten path and look for repair and resupply once we get there. Tydaria is only a day's jump from here. Maybe we can trade some of our tech schematics for services rendered..."

"That won't be necessary," said Ava, a smile breaking across her face for once. "Galactic powers and governments, Tydaria included, place bounties on anyone they've got beef with; pirates, rivals, whatever. Ever since the PACT began pushing into the Neutral Rim, some pretty big bounties have been posted for their ships too. We'll be paid a lump sum for each ship we sink; fast cash for the supplies and services we need to keep operating. I've already put together some preliminary dossiers for bounties that align with our mission. So long as we start small, the _Sunrider_ should be more than a match for anything out here in the sticks."

"I thought we decided we weren't taking the pirate route," said Kayto with a straight face.

Ava flushed slightly. "This is different, it's more mercenary or privateer work- Hey! S-shut up!" she demanded as Kayto broke into snickers.

"I like it," smiled Kayto as Ava's cheekbones flushed crimson. "Any operation against the PACT we can pull off is a good one for now."

Ava nodded, steadying her composure. "There's also the matter of personnel and equipment. As you know, none of our Ryders or pilots transferred before Cera fell, severely limiting our capabilities as an assault carrier. We're also short one ship doctor and a chief engineer; we'll need to find some people with the qualifications we need, preferably sooner rather than later."

"I guess Tydaria is as good of a place to look as any," shrugged Kayto. "Wherever we find those people, it won't be out here, that's for sure."

Ava nodded and stood, saluting. "Any additional orders, Sir?"

Kayto stood and walked around his desk, stopping at a respectful distance. "Ava... are you holding up alright with all this?" he asked, eyeing the dark circles under and the fatigue behind her eyes. Clearly, she was sleeping no better than he was.

"I'm... fine. There's no reason to worry about me, Captain," she said stiffly, avoiding eye contact. Kayto said nothing as her hand dropped down and she relaxed from her salute, still firmly looking away from him. "Kayto... we've got more immediate problems to worry about; let's make sure we all pull through this in one piece first."

Kayto nodded, "Use my door anytime you need to."

"Understood," she replied, turning and walking towards his door. "I'll see you in the CIC when you're ready to lay in our course to Tydaria."

* * *

"Dropout from warp without incident, all expected systems read green. Navigation confirming coordinates... confirmed. We've arrived at Tydaria, Sir," announced Ava as forward screens activated, showing a massive, ringed, rust colored world hanging in front of them.

Not every planet colonized by humanity looked like or even remotely resembled Cera; the vast majority of worlds were a good deal less hospitable. Tydaria was one such world where humans had been drawn to establish a permanent presence out of industrial necessity rather than comfort. Although the planet's surface was lashed with high winds, sandstorms, and the occasional toxic rain, its crust composition and planetary rings were rich in ores demanded across the known galaxy for applications in high quality starship manufacturing. Most Tydarians were, either directly or indirectly, employed by the mining industry and shared the same ascetic, dry, humorless and occasionally dangerous attitude of their homeworld. Among the local Neutral Rim worlds, Tydarians were famed for their ability to nickle and dime a trader within a centimeter of his or her life, fiercely bargaining every penny's worth out of the ore they wrested from the planet. Perhaps it was the inhospitably of the planet and/or its inhabitants, but neither the Solar Alliance nor the PACT had much interest or luck in swaying their allegiance one way or the other, ore prices and quantities having the final say in all of Tydaria's business and political dealings.

Kayto regarded the rusty planet on the main screen, noting the healthy sprinkle of orbital habitats and factories encircling the planet with swarms of cargo freighters puttering to and fro on their regularly scheduled runs. In some ways, Tydaria and the hard bargains they were bound to find made for a less than ideal port to trade for repairs and resupply, but their strict neutrality towards galactic politics and the fact that their technology level was on par with Cera's made it a more attractive option than at first glance.

"Lay in a course for the planet's rings," ordered Kayto. "There's bound to be an open repair dock somewhere in that mining operation. We'll be able to get things straightened out and some resupply at the very least."

Ava leaned forward, examining her screens carefully. Explosively breathing out, she spoke grimly, "You might want to hold that idea, Captain. We're detecting a number of unknown contacts on an intercept vector. We're being hailed and I don't think it's an invitation to sit and chat over tea and biscuits."

"Open the channel," ordered Kayto. "You're always so pessimistic..." he muttered.

Ava sniffed, "Woman's Intuition."

The holo projector hummed to life between them and a blonde haired child with gray eyes wearing a violet armored Ryder suit materialized on the deck exactly where Kayto expected, but at least three heads too short.

"HaaHaaHaaa!" The unknown Ryder pilot's peels of mirth rang out on the bridge. "This is pirate Ryder Havok. Lower your shields and surrender your ship!" she demanded in a menacing and surprisingly low pitched voice, pointing threateningly towards Kayto and Ava. Small and child-like, the avatar shattered every pirate trope from the holodramas, but Kayto was not one to judge the peculiar fetishes of Tydaria's local pirate gang. For all he knew, a burly, fat, hairy pirate lord was hiding behind the projection in the opposing Ryder's cockpit.

"OK, looks like you were right after all," whispered Kayto to Ava from the corner of his mouth.

"Captain; unknown contacts are flying no registered transponder signals. Looks like they actually are pirates," announced Ava, rolling her eyes.

"Red Alert," said Kayto calmly, looking down at the holographic avatar of Havok's pilot, "All hands to battle stations. Pirate; stand down. This is the warship _Sunrider_ of the Cera Space Force. We will not hesitate to open fire with deadly force if you do not deviate from your course vectors and turn tail immediately."

"Cera huh?" smirked the pirate. "That explains a lot; looks like you're ship's ready to fall apart, even without my help. It's a fixer-uper, but it'll do nicely as an addition to my pirate fleet, once we're done taking care of your crew, of course." The pirate's voice was casual. "Boys, rough 'em up!"

The pirate's avatar dissolved as they cut the communications link. "Ava, what's the tactical situation?"

"Two pirate Ryders inbound on fast-burn intercept vectors, standard Imperial surplus infantry models, likely refurbished. Scans are reading them as Mark II's. One additional Ryder, bomber class, custom configuration, designation 'Havok.' We've also got two pirate destroyers five minutes behind them pushing to intercept from separate vectors; they're trying to box us in."

Kayto nodded. The Ryders represented the most immediate threat to the ship. Quick single-pilot space superiority fighters, Ryders were nimble, agile opponents capable of mounting starship grade weapons. Ancient legend from the days of the Holy Ryuvian Empire spoke of Ryders as having ceremonial and ritualized functions in addition to their military applications. For a time, their actual existence had been heavily debated among academics, the art of their manufacture and operation having been lost during the Dark Ages after the fall of the Holy Ryuvian Empire. The nascent space faring powers of that time returned to traditional single-pilot fighter starships to fulfill the space superiority niche until the rediscovery of Ryder technology circa the year 398 when Solar Alliance archaeologists retrieved a fully operational Ryder from an ancient Holy Ryuvian Empire ruin.

Locked in a desperate and gridlocked war against the New Empire, the Solar Alliance gambled it's not-insignificant scientific and industrial resources on large scale reproduction of the Ryder. Although Imperial scientists and spies quickly allowed the New Empire to reproduce the technology as well, the Alliance had already found it's advantage, winning several key engagements with the re-introduction of Ryder technology to space warfare. Outmatching traditional single-pilot spacecraft in nearly all regards, Ryder technology quickly became the staple of space-superiority in space-based conflict, forever replacing the now obsolete concept of single-pilot spacecraft. The only domain in which traditional fighter craft continued to play a role was in atmosphere, where the Ryder's light frame and lack of aerodynamics spelled certain suicide for any pilot foolish enough to fly that close to a planet. If the atmosphere didn't kill them, the gravity would, dragging the vehicle down into a flaming, deadly embrace.

Now, slightly over one hundred years since their rediscovery, Ryder technology had become significantly more refined, with all major space-faring powers operating their own Ryder programs. Such was the proliferation of Ryder technology that even independent powers, such as criminals and pirates, had managed to secure and learn to pilot the craft, albeit heavily modified older models, mostly left over from the Alliance-Imperial War or PACT revolution.

Painted an anonymous shade of green, the Mark II Imperial Ryder had once been a staple of the Imperial Navy, produced en mass by their factory worlds, although it seemed that the pirates had splashed all manner of gaudy holograms and neon-painted war symbols across the once spartan hull. Wielding a standard semi-automatic 70mm autocannon directly integrated into its right armature and long range laser weaponry on the left armature, the Mark II Imperial Ryder was equipped for almost any job imaginable, although it traded performance for the versatility. Some of the Ryders had even been equipped with missile pods, allowing the Ryder to carry a limited number of guided missiles as a one-off supplementation to their offensive capabilities. Aside from a large shield integrated onto the left armature, the Imperial Mark II's lacked any defensive capabilities beyond their pilot's skill, completely lacking modern shielding or additional hull armor, making them relatively frail targets against large-caliber kinetic weapons or laser weaponry. Of course, since the pirates were vastly more interested in outfitting their Ryders to appear intimidating than actually paying attention to the maintenance of their craft, Kayto suspected their machines would fall short of even the sub-par specifications of the Mark II Imperial Ryder.

Completely composed of standardized parts, Imperial Ryders made ideal black market merchandise, allowing less scrupulous dealers to buy, sell, refurbish, chop, etc. with the minimum of hassle. The Ryders moving to intercept the _Sunrider_ had been obsolete the day the pirates had bought them off the black market, but, despite the poor attention paid to maintenance, were apparently more than enough to strong arm the local trade vessels. Behind them, two of what passed for the pirate equivalent of a destroyer shuddered towards the _Sunrider_. Eyeballing the ships, Kayto marveled at their ability to remain in a single piece through the strain of the acceleration. Little more than a fusion powered frame mounting the biggest, flashiest guns and engines they could scrape off the black market, the pirate destroyers were a used starship salesman's worse nightmare potpourri of decommissioned and salvaged starship parts, all wrapped up with the pirates' unique taste in decoration to boot.

Likely, the pirates' relative success in Tydaria had emboldened them to the point of recklessness; a lone warship, clearly wounded, was too tempting a target to simply ignore. Even so, Kayto mused, their leader either ambitious and confident, or simply foolhardy to approach even the crippled _Sunrider_ with a fleet like that.

"Let's focus on taking those Ryders out before those destroyers close range. Give me full forward on engines, bring us about bearing five-five and ten-six, drop us three degrees down relative to horizontal axis.," ordered Kayto.

"Aye, Sir," replied Ava, relaying the orders.

 _Sunrider's_ engines responded, pushing the crew into their crash seats as she accelerated in-system.

"Pirate Ryders maintaining present intercept course, removing weapon safeties; we are ready to fire on your command, Captain," reported Ava.

"Target lead pirate Ryder," instructed Kayto, tapping a series of commands into his tactical screen. "Fire our missiles and take him out before we get within range of their laser weapons."

"Understood," nodded Ava, "Be advised; _Sunrider's_ missile munitions will be exhausted after this action."

"Do it," confirmed Kayto.

"Missile pods hot. Launch all missiles now!" barked Ava.

Along _Sunrider's_ lateral fins, one dozen missile silos on each side slide open, allowing her remaining stock of Hell Dart missiles to take flight. Trailing clouds of vaporized propellant which flash froze in the vacuum of space, the missiles streaked towards their lead target, making minor course adjustments as their micro-computer systems tracked the incoming Ryder.

"Hell Darts away, contact with target in ten; on main screen now."

Kayto looked up, watching as the pirate Ryder held its course in the face of the missile salvo in a deadly game of chicken. As the missiles were semi-autonomous and capable of limited target tracking, Ryder pilots always waited until the last moment possible to initiate emergency course corrections with the hope of throwing the missiles off. As the missiles drew closer, the pirate Ryder let loose with an extended burst from it's 70mm autocannons, spent casings drifting off into space in a cloud of metal. Two missiles detonated from the incoming fire, but the rest streaked forward, unharmed. Kayto grinned; clearly pirate Ryder pilot training left something to be desired.

Too late, the pirate activated his lateral thrusters, kicking his Ryder to the left. Two missiles clipped his frame, one blowing a hole his right armature, the second, blowing off the sensor suite which made up the "head" of the Ryder. Blind and wounded, the pirate Ryder tumbled from the impact, wildly firing retrothrusters in a desperate attempt to regain axis stability. The remaining missiles shot past the Ryder before banking and homing in on their wounded prey. Impacting one after another, the missiles jerked the pirate Ryder's frame around like a rag doll before a critical shot caused its reactor containment to shatter, consuming the entire Ryder in a ball of flame and metal vapor.

Heedless, the other Imperial Mark II blasted through the remnants of his partner Ryder, its glowing holograms depicting various gang signs and women in anatomically questionable positions turning a blood red. Raising it's left arm, the Ryder leveled its laser cannons at the _Sunrider_ , letting loose with twin crimson beams.

"Laser hit on our port side, Captain," reported Ava, as _Sunrider's_ monitors beeped in consternation. "Lateral armor intact, no hull breaches reported."

Kayto smiled. Although laser weapons were effective and accurate at range, the nature of space warfare made it difficult to concentrate fire on a single location to maximize the chance of a hull breach. Less than effective laser attacks simply gouged ugly grooves along starship armor, unable to penetrate to core systems or into the hull itself. "Charge Trinities, let's show them the difference between our training and theirs."

"All Trinity laser banks, lock target and fire on my mark... mark!" ordered Ava as the computer achieved a firing solution for the target.

Blue laser light erupted from _Sunrider's_ lateral laser banks, her six laser cannons on each side discharging asynchronously. Boxed in from all sides by multiple laser shots from the different laser cannons, the pirate Ryder found itself unable to escape and hunkered down behind its large, legionnaire style shield. The shield glowed bright orange for a moment before sloughing off, allowing the deadly laser strike to melt the Ryder behind it like a wax candle. Deformed and damaged, the molten Ryder began to flash freeze as the laser lost coherence, fusing the entire machine into a useless chunk of glass and metal. Doubtless, the pirate pilot inside the Ryder did not survive the transition.

"Open a channel, the same frequency the pirates hailed us on," requested Kayto. "Pirate; turn back now before things get messy."

"Hah!" the pirates' leader materialized on the bridge once again, her purple Ryder suit festooned with holographic symbols and marks on its armored plates, although hers were a good deal more understated than her flunkies'. "Those grunts are a dime a dozen, just a distraction to get my Havok in range. Take this, Firestorms away!"

"Incoming missile fire, Captain!" called out Ava, the calm around her voice cracking microscopically. "All hands, brace for impact!"

 _Sunrider_ shook angrily as her flak cannon gunners fired into the oncoming ordinance, their computer-assisted aim nailing several of the incoming missiles.

"Not enough!" squealed the pirate happily as _Sunrider_ rattled under the barrage of missiles.

"Damage report!" grunted Kayto through gritted teeth as the ship stabilized, muting the comms system.

"We're venting air in four sections, multiple hull breaches. This is putting a pretty hard strain on our systems, Captain," replied Ava grimly. "No fatalities... yet."

"Who let that many missiles through? Are our gunners blind!?" demanded Kayto, only half-serious, breathing out in relief despite Ava's pessimism. "What the hell's in them anyways? They burned through our armor like it wasn't there!"

"No idea, Captain, but our systems, sensors and computer-assist for the flak cannons included, were barely hanging on by a thread before we even got here. _Sunrider's_ giving it all she's got."

"And _this one_ ," gloated the pirate girl. "Is for your engines. Get ready to be boarded, Captain! We'll cut your crew into pieces!"

"Play nice, pumpkin," admonished Kayto in a mock sweet voice. "Why can't you just be a good little girl and save us both a lot of trouble?"

"Hurk..." the pirate girl's eyes contracted to pinpoints, her voice strangled by sheer rage. "Did... did... you just call me..."

"Don't worry sweetie, the grown ups will let you stay up next time. Why don't you run along and head to bed now?"

Y-YOUUU!" Kayto arched an eyebrow as the girl's eyes bulged alarmingly. "KILL THEM ALL, BUT LEAVE THE CAPTAIN FOR ME! HE'S... MINE..."

Beside him, Ava buried her face in her hands. "Captain... provoking the enemy... IS ONLY GOING TO GET US SKINNED ALIVE!"

"Actually, I think the plan was to only do that to me; the rest of you have it easy," dismissed Kayto as Ava rolled her eyes and sighed explosively at him. Although he passed it off as good fun, spitting in the enemy's eye had bought him and the crew a few precious moments to reconsider their tactics given _Sunrider's_ reduced capabilities. With any luck, having been goaded into attack, the pirates' lack of discipline and tactics would give the _Sunrider_ the advantage it needed to turn things around.

"Eh?!" squealed the pirate girl, her hologram suddenly rippling from interference.

"Captain! New contact, coming up from behind on our port side on intercept vector with the Havok. Multiple laser impacts on enemy Ryder detected!" relayed Ava, her composure returning.

"The cavalry has arrived!" announced a free-spirited female voice. On the bridge, a redheaded woman with sea-green eyes materialized on the open channel, wearing a Ryder suit with matching red armored plates.

"What the-? Who are you?" demanded Kayto, thrown, but impressed. Landing multiple laser hits on another Ryder at that range and while accelerating spoke volumes of the pilot's skill.

Flashing a roguish smile, the Ryder pilot stuck a pose in front of her camera. "A HERO OF JUSTICE!"

Next to him, Ava pinched herself through her uniform, muttering, "Too much coffee, too much coffee..."

"Looks like you guys could use a hand," continued the Ryder pilot. "Don't worry, my Black Jack can take care of those guys in a flash!"

"Scans complete, Captain," cut in Ava. "She's piloting a privately owned custom Ryder, licensed through the United Mining Guild. Probably private security or mercenary hired for the mining operation here." With a sideways glance, Ava's real thoughts were clear; _Can we trust her_?

Kayto shrugged to her, meaning clear as day: _Not much choice_.

"Alright Black Jack. Let's see what you've got. Keep that Ryder off us and let us handle those two destroyers inbound."

"Roger that!" answered the Black Jack's pilot as the Ryder flashed past the _Sunrider_ on the main screen, it's blue engines flaring brilliantly as it barreled towards the Havok recklessly.

"All ahead forward, give me a firing solution for those destroyers; we'll fire the Saviors once we get in range," ordered Kayto, steel in his voice. "And keep an eye on that Ryder," he added as an afterthought.

As _Sunrider_ pushed towards the pirate ships, Kayto watched as the Black Jack engaged the Havok. Having recovered from the sudden attack, the pirate Ryder leveled a massive Gatling gun at the Black Jack while what appeared to be a chainsaw powered up, spitting sparks menacingly as it came to life. Hitting her maneuvering thrusters in rapid succession, the Black Jack dodged and weaved, dancing recklessly around the heavier Havok's machine gun bursts while chipping away at the other Ryder's armor with bursts from her own autocannons.

"Fire Saviors!" ordered Kayto. _Sunrider's_ heavy deck guns fired in succession, sending satisfying reports throughout the ship. Having never been built to withstand that kind of fire, the slow moving pirate destroyer's hull broke apart like a ripe fruit, _Sunrider's_ kinetic slugs gutting her and exposing the insides to vacuum.

Angrily, the pirate destroyer's sister ship let loose with a laser cannon barrage, causing _Sunrider_ to pitch unexpectedly.

"Captain! Saviors offline, multiple systems failures. Our hull integrity is below acceptable limits!" called out Ava, dispensing the bad news with professional detachment.

"Black Jack, time to wrap things up," said Kayto, biting his lip and watching the main screen where the Black Jack kept its one up on the Havok. Without the Saviors, _Sunrider_ would have difficulty sinking the remaining pirate destroyer without receiving unacceptable punishment to her fragile hull as well. "Uploading firing solutions to you now; coordinate with our weapons and fire any long-range anti-ship ordinance you have so that we target the last destroyer simultaneously."

"Roger that, Capt'n!" came the Black Jack's pilot's cheery voice as her Ryder broke away from the dazed Havok.

"Fire Trinities! Kill thrust and use our remaining power to overcharge!" ordered Kayto. "Target the remaining pirate destroyer!"

"Imma firin' mah lazers!" called out Black Jack's pilot as shoulder mounted anti-starship laser weapons deployed from the flat of the Ryder's back and angled at the pirate destroyer.

"What... the HELL was that?" demanded Ava, blinking in surprise the strange proclamation as _Sunrider_ and Black Jack's laser beams converged on the destroyer. Shaking her head, she consulted the ship sensors. "Catastrophic damage to pirate destroyer, looks like what isn't on fire is in vacuum," she said, satisfaction thick on her voice.

"Pirate Ryder Havok coming around," called out Kayto unhappily.

"Don't sweat it, Capt'n," said the Black Jack's pilot. "Fly my pretties!" Missile pods opened up all over the Black Jack's armor, sliding back armored plates to reveal row after row of missiles. Launching rapidly, one after another, they chased after the Havok, detonating and shearing armored plates from the Ryder and damaging it's internal systems.

Sparking and covered with impacts and other damage, the Havok gave _Sunrider_ and Black Jack one last glowering look before turning tail and slinking away, rapidly accelerating out of their weapons and sensor range.

The bridge breathed a sigh of relief and Kayto motioned to stand down from Red Alert. As normal bridge lighting returned, Black Jack's pilot re-materialized on the bridge. "That sure was _exciting_!" she laughed, pumping an armored fist into the air. "I wish I could have seen the look on their faces!"

Kayto nodded appreciatively as Ava put a hand to her brow. "Thanks for the assist Black Jack, we'd be happy to give you a lift back to Tydaria. We're opening our hanger bay; you have permission to dock."

"And to explain yourself," added Ava skeptically.

"Roger that, coming aboard!" said the pilot happily as she cut communications.

On the main screen, the Black Jack's engines flared and the Ryder dropped down, vectoring towards hanger bay 01's entrance as the _Sunrider_ dropped the scarred armored port to the docking tube, lighting up to guide the Ryder's docking approach.

Standing and stretching his stiff legs, Kayto straightened his uniform and breathed deep, unwinding some of the tension of the battle from his back. "Well," he said, turning to Ava, "Let's go meet this 'hero of justice.'"

"Roger that, Captain," answered Ava, drawing the small pistol at her hip and checking the cartridge and chamber before returning it, safety off, to its holster.

"Such a pessimist," said Kayto with a shake of the head.

"Woman's intuition."

* * *

 _Sunrider's_ Ryder hanger occupied the single largest contiguous space within the ship, also serving as a reservoir for atmosphere when various other parts of the ship required emergency pressurization. Since departing Cera, the hanger bay had largely been ignored due to the lack of Ryders aboard the ship. Although twelve berths were available for docking, only a single one, bay 01 was fully lit, the rest having been powered down due to damage to the electric system, giving the entire hanger the mostly accurate impression of disuse and borderline neglect. The hanger was structured so that a central catwalk, suspended several stories above the ground floor, stretched into the dark from the lift connecting the hanger to the rest of the ship. Here, pilots or maintenance staff could access the Ryders through a series of individual airlocked lifts that granted access to the individual bays.

As Kayto and Ava stepped off the lift into the hanger, their footsteps echoed morosely, the hanger quiet save for the occasional oiled whir of a passing drone, the only sign that the ship had made itself ready for the docking Ryder. At Kayto's insistence and observation that Ava was armed, the two had come to the hanger alone, without a security detail in tow. Beyond the see-through walls of the upper catwalk, the two could see the Black Jack drift into the docking berth, its engines powered down to a minimum as a series of powerful electromagnetic tractors affixed to standard hardpoints on the Ryder frame guided it into position into a docking cradle. As the far door to the launch tube closed, atmosphere hissed into the berth, appearing as jets of snow white vapor until the room heated to normal temperature. On the catwalk, at the level of the Black Jack's "head," Kayto and Ava jumped reflexively as sound of the Ryder's disengaging thrusters and heavy machinery from the active bay returned suddenly with the re-pressurization of the berth.

Kayto and Ava positioned themselves opposite to the lift marked "01," Ava's hand casually close to the butt of her pistol. Raising his cuff to his lips, Kayto spoke through the bracelet on his wrist. "Activate Ryder hanger lift 01."

Several moments later, the lift returned to the catwalk level, hissing open and revealing the pilot of the Black Jack. Clad in the red armored Ryder suit she had appeared in earlier, the pilot stepped off the lift, her armored magnetic boots clinked gently as she walked, making the additional weight of suit apparent the way holograms never could. Lean with short red hair and bright green eyes, the pilot's youthful and curious expression lent the air of immaturity to her, completely at odds with the piloting skill she had demonstrated against the pirates.

"That's close enough, pilot," said Ava firmly before Kayto could open his mouth. "Put your hands in the air for a weapons check."

The pilot's jaw practically dropped to the ground, "Seriously?! Come on lady, I just did you guys a solid. Why do I have to get groped by you?"

"L-Lady?!" spluttered Ava, turning red, "We're almost the same age!"

"Listen," Kayto raised his voice and hands before the situation got out of control. "Ava, she's right, if she wanted us dead, she'd have helped the pirates. Maybe we could let her off the hook this time."

"Captain, naval protocol section 9-32B clearly states-"

Kayto sighed, turning to the pilot, "Listen, could you just put your hands up and do a quick spin? I already convinced her to leave the security team behind, so let's all just meet halfway."

Rolling her eyes, Black Jack's pilot did as he asked.

"Great," said Kayto as Ava looked equally dissatisfied with the perfunctory weapons check. Stepping forward, he offered his hand. "I'm Kayto Shields, Captain of the assault carrier _Sunrider_. This is my First Officer, Commander Ava Crescentia. Welcome aboard."

Black Jack's pilot grasped his hand with her armored gauntlet firmly. "Asaga Oakrun, pilot of the Black Jack. Nice to meet you two."

"Thanks again for the help out there."

"No problem," said Asaga flicking her short hair back over her shoulder. "Those guys were nothin'.

"Maybe you could tell us what you were doing out here in the first place," asked Kayto, nodding towards the Black Jack. Like the vast majority of other Ryders, Black Jack most likely operated from a base or some other form of infrastructure, having no warp capabilities or ability to operate without frequent resupply of fuel and munitions. "Hard to imagine a lone Ryder just happened upon us like that without a reason."

"Oh, nothing, just keeping the space ways safe!" answered Asaga jovially. "Coming to the rescue wherever the weak are oppressed; it's the hero of justice, the vanguard of the innocent! For love, freedom, and just _a little_ money on the side, it's Asaga Oakrun, pilot of the Black Jack!"

Ava simply stared at the pilot as she finished her introduction with yet another pose and smile, although Kayto fancied he could practically hear his First Officer's teeth grinding.

"So... you're basically a freelancer?" prompted Kayto.

"Ehh, I suppose you could call me that," admitted Asaga, the wind leaving her sails slightly. "The space around here is pretty dangerous with the pirate gangs and all. The Mining Union pays pretty well for any pirate skulls I crack, although it's harder than it sounds. Those guys bug out faster than cockroaches, especially when they see the Black Jack. I just figured that we could help each other out a bit when I saw your predicament, and I was right! We got 'em pretty good that time!"

"How long have you been in the business?" asked Kayto, interested.

"Oh, just a little while," answered Asaga breezily. "I've traveled all over the Neutral Rim, picking up odd jobs here and there. I guess you could call me an adventurer."

"You do that all alone in a single Ryder?" Ava sounded skeptical.

"No, no." Asaga shook her head. "I've got Chigara helping me out! She built me the Black Jack, here. She's an absolute genius when it comes to tech; fixes and builds anything mechanical you can imagine!"

Kayto made a mental note to ask more about Asaga's partner later. Building a custom Ryder from scratch was no mean feat and, clearly, the Black Jack was no amateur job. From what Kayto had seen, the custom Ryder easily outperformed anything he had ever know the Cera Space Force to field. Someone like that could, at the very least, help shore up their starship. "Tell me a little bit about those pirates, sounds like you have some experience dealing with them."

"Well," said Asaga, dragging out the word as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Seems like you've already met their leader, the one piloting the Havok. Her name's Cosette Cosmos."

"We've had the pleasure," replied Kayto, deciding to skip over the words they had exchanged on the bridge. "What's a little girl doing leading a gang like that anyways? Don't kids have anything better to do around here?"

"She looks like a brat, but don't underestimate her Capt'n; she's a nasty piece of work." Asaga's face grew more serious as she crossed her arms. "She's feared for her ruthlessness in a number of sectors, including this one, kind of a de facto pirate queen by some standards. One of the stories has it she slit her own Pa's throat on her fourteenth birthday for not buying her candy. Plenty of other stories too."

Kayto's face must have conveyed his skepticism as Asaga threw up her hands defensively. "What I can say for a fact is that I've had a few run-ins with her and the Havok and they're not to be trifled with. I got the one up on her this time, but she's had me in a pickle more than once too. For your sake, you'd better believe in her Havok's anti-matter missiles; those little beauties will do more than dent your starship hull, but you probably noticed that already."

Kayto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Yeah, well... tell us about the Mining Union, what's your deal with them?" he said switching topics.

"Not much to say, Captain," answered Asaga, shrugging. "They mine ore and pay me to take out as many pirates as I can. My contact with them is a lady by the name of Sophita, she's the person to talk to about work around here for freelancers like me. Of course, since we both worked the last job, we can split the fee, fifty-fifty."

Kayto nodded, "Fair's fair." Even though _Sunrider_ had taken out the first two Ryders and a destroyer on its own, he figured the likelihood of their collecting the bounty without the Black Jack's sudden appearance was limited at best. On top of that, Asaga's introduction to her contact with the Mining Union would likely be useful to say the least in securing the funds the _Sunrider_ needed for her repair and resupply.

"So what now?" asked Asaga, sizing Kayto and Ava up.

"We'll give you a ride back to Tydaria like I promised," replied Kayto, pushing the ball back into her court.

Asaga's lips quirked up slightly into small smile. "You guys are Cera Space Force right?"

"That's right."

"Sorry to hear about your planet and the PACT, it's been all over the feeds," offered Asaga. Neither Kayto nor Ava said anything, although Kayto felt his chest tighten at the mention of his homeworld's fate. "Look," continued Asaga. "It looks to me like you're an assault carrier without Ryders. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. We make a good team, so I'll tell you what; help me take out the pirates here and I'll join up as _Sunrider's_ first Ryder."

"Captain!" protested Ava before Kayto could say anything. "We can't just conscript locals on a whim! How can we trust someone we've just met?"

"Not much choice, Commander," said Kayto with a frown after a moment's thought. Truthfully, he considered Asaga's offer a stroke of luck; her piloting skills were clearly polished and the Black Jack would undeniably improve the _Sunrider's_ capabilities. Ava's point was, however, well taken. Even though Asaga seemed straightforward enough, her offer to join the _Sunrider_ seemed a little too quick and Kayto wondered what other motivations were at play. " _Sunrider_ was always meant to have a Ryder wing; we're fighting with our arms tied behind our back without Ryder support. Plus, she's already saved our necks once; I think we can work together."

Ava sighed, slumping slightly as she raised a hand to her brow again. "I knew you were going to say that. Why do I even bother?"

Asaga laughed, "Glad we could agree, Capt'n!"

Turning to Asaga, Kayto said seriously, "This is a military vessel. If you join _Sunrider's_ crew, you'll be putting on a uniform with the rest of us. That means following orders and protocol, just to make that clear. You don't have to answer now, but make sure you know what you're getting into. For now, we'll work together as partners."

Asaga nodded thoughtfully.

"Also," continued Kayto, " _Sunrider_ needs repairs and resupply. We'll set a course for Tydaria and figure out a plan once we get those things taken care of."

"Best place to go for that is Chigara's place, Capt'n!" said Asaga cheerfully. "She'll get your ship sorted out in no time and at a fair price! I'll give you the coordinates to her workshop!" she offered, retrieving and holding out a data chit with her partner's repair dock information on it.

Kayto shrugged and accepted it; it wasn't as though they had any other recommendations for local talent. "Pretty slick; you probably offer these to any ships shot up by the pirates, huh?"

Asaga merely grinned. "Hey, we all gotta eat!"

"Ava and I are going back up to the bridge," said Kayto with a smile. Beside him, Ava turned and called the lift. "It's probably best if you stay here with the Black Jack. I've have a crew member come by to show you areas of the ship you'll have access to while you're here; if you need anything else, give us a call on your comms."

"Aye, Aye!" affirmed Asaga, turning back towards her Ryder.

"Oh, Asaga?" Kayto called over his shoulder as Ava stepped into the waiting lift in front of him. "Don't do anything that'll make Ava beat me for later."

Asaga giggled, waving for him to catch up with Ava.

"I heard that," Ava muttered as Kayto stepped in with her, whistling innocently.


	3. Chigara

Short chapter; mostly talking. Next update this weekend, rest assured.

* * *

 **Chapter 3- Chigara**

"This is the _Sunrider_ , requesting permission to dock," announced Ava over the communications system as _Sunrider_ drew closer to the large, skeletal framework of the starship dry dock Asaga had directed them towards.

Kayto eyed the construct, impressed. Large enough to easily accommodate the _Sunrider's_ hull, the dock had clearly been built with the intention of servicing even larger vessels, such as the slow, lumbering behemoths that carried extracted ore from Tydaria to the various clients the Mining Union dealt with. Large robotic repair drones skated around on the skeletal frame of the dock, as though eager to attend to the work _Sunrider_ brought to their home. Slung underneath the dock, a series of large modules, undoubtedly containing all manner of starship supplies, fuel, and the like opened and closed their doors as robotic dollies carried goods to and from. At the very front, a single habitation module, dwarfed by the sheer size of everything else on the dock, was revealed by the band of warm light pouring out of the window wrapping around the outside of the structure.

"Uhh... yes! This is the Stardust Bakery, may I take your order?" came a young woman's nervous voice.

Ava's eyebrows nearly disappeared, rising up behind her bangs. "Stardust... Bakery?"

"Yes! We have fresh bread, muffins, sandwiches, and... Cupcakes!" replied the woman, her avatar materializing on the bridge. Slim and of light complexion, with pale lavender hair and sapphire eyes and wearing a baker's outfit, the woman was clearly anxious, playing nervously with the bow on the top of her head.

"Captain..." sighed Ava, exasperated, "Don't tell me..."

"Ahh, yes! This is Captain Kayto Shields!" said Kayto, relieving Ava's burden. "We were given to understand that we might be able to negotiate for the repair and resupply of our vessel here."

"Oh, of course... I should have known..." sighed the avatar from the dock with disappointment. A second later, the avatar's clothing morphed, putting the woman into a white lab coat of sorts. "We do that here too. With your permission, I'd like to scan your ship, Captain."

Kayto nodded, surprised by the courtesy. "Please."

"Let me see... yes... nothing that we can't handle here," she said, consulting a scan of the _Sunrider._ "Dock your ship, Captain, and I'll come aboard. We can discuss the details then."

"Copy that," agreed Kayto as running lights activated around the dock, guiding _Sunrider_ into the cradle of machinery. "We'll meet you in our hanger bay; your partner is already on board."

* * *

"Chigaraaa! I'm home!" called out Asaga, waving happily as the mauve haired woman stepped aboard the _Sunrider_.

"And you've brought friends, I see," said Chigara in a quiet, melodious voice. Slightly shorter than Asaga, Chigara looked even younger than her partner, although she was clearly the more level-headed and mature of the pair. Wearing a long white lab coat over an armored Ryder suit, blue, Chigara seemed to be a strange blend of professions; case in point the bakery/repair dock hybrid she operated.

"This is Kayto Shields, Captain of the _Sunrider_. And the lady with him is Commander Ava Crescentia, the First Officer," introduced Asaga, gesturing at the two of them.

"Ugh," sighed Ava, disgruntled.

Kayto saluted, "Welcome aboard the _Sunrider_. You must be Chigara; Asaga told us a little about you."

Chigara giggled a little at the salute, a hint of pink entering her cheeks. "Chigara Lynn Ashada, nice to meet you Captain Shields.

"So what's all this about the bakery?" asked Kayto, curiosity piqued.

"Ah," said Chigara, her face breaking into a passionate smile. "Stardust Bakery is the best place in Tydaria to get any baked good; bread, pastries, cream puffs, sandwiches, we have them all!"

"It's the _only_ place!" butted in Asaga enthusiastically.

"Uhh... how's business?" asked Kayto awkwardly, having a hard time imagining a team of burly miners placing an order for cream puffs.

Chigara sighed with resignation, "Not that great. Everyone seems so much more interested in getting their ship fixed."

"So why not just call it a dry dock?" asked Kayto blithely as Ava rolled her eyes behind his back.

"Oy, Oy!" interrupted Asaga, putting a protective arm around Chigara's slumping shoulders. "You can't just shut down a girl's dreams like that! Chigara's always wanted to run a bakery!"

"Maybe he's right..." replied Chigara, somewhat dejected. "It feels so awkward making and selling cupcakes next to starship fuel. Probably illegal in most sectors too..."

"Way to go, Captain," muttered Ava so that only Kayto heard.

"Uhh, well, this is kind of a strange planet to find two girls like you two..." observed Kayto, switching topics quickly.

"Not at all," refuted Chigara, "The Mining Union operates tons of ships out of Tydaria. With all the wear and tear hauling ore, pirate attacks, and what not, I've got my hands full repairing their ships. Being close to all the ore and smelting facilities here also keep my costs lower than if I were to start up in another system. So when Asaga and I got here, I rented out this dock from the Union and we've been patching up their ships since. With all the good we do here, they've been very supportive of our efforts... except for the bakery."

"I guess I meant more from a personal perspective. Not too many folks who weren't born into it come out to these mining worlds."

"Oh, well I guess you could call me an adventurer too, just like Asaga," said Chigara, waving dismissively.

"You freelance too?"

"Oh... yes, freelancing. I do some of that too," shrugged Chigara in a disinterested tone.

Maybe Ava's paranoia was rubbing off onto him, but Kayto sensed something amiss with the story both Asaga and Chigara put forward. Nothing malign per say, but not the entire truth either. Internally shrugging, Kayto decided to drop the line of questioning; if the two of them weren't sharing the full story, it wasn't his business to pry anyways. "Well anyways, let's get down to business," said Kayto. " _Sunrider_ needs a whole mess of repairs and we've got a pretty long shopping list of things we'd like to resupply on."

Ava handed Chigara her holo, showing the ship's depleted inventory and highlighting critical supplies they needed.

Prior to docking, Asaga had contacted the Mining Union to collect the bounty on the pirate ships they destroyed. After verifying the combat records of both Black Jack and the _Sunrider_ , the Union had obliged their request for a split fee, transferring the agreed upon funds to an account with their bank, one of the larger such institutions in the galaxy. Although the fee had been reasonable for the work entailed, Kayto kept his fingers crossed that their account would cover the repair costs and leave enough for resupply.

"Looks like the damage is worse on your outer hull and electronics system," said Chigara, showing them the scans from her dock. "It won't be too difficult of a job; I can probably have it done by the end of the week. You and Asaga split the fee from the Mining Union, right? The repairs here won't cost more than half of your share."

"Now I think you're underestimating the job here," said Kayto, crossing his arms skeptically, " _Sunrider's_ a top of the line military vessel; fixing her won't be the same as scraping a meteoroid impact off a mining freighter. Even my crew could barely get her critical systems back in a week; and they were trained to do that sort of thing."

"Don't worry, Capt'n!" assured Asaga as Chigara smiled demurely, "Chigara's a crazy genius, you'll see. She's never met a machine she couldn't fix or optimize in her life!"

"Take a look at that relay over there," challenged Kayto. "Normally it regulates power for the whole hanger, but we've had to bypass the whole thing just to power this one bay. When I overloaded our shields, it fried half our electric systems to hell, including this thing; it'll take more than a prayer and whistle to fix something like that."

Chigara pulled out a set of mechanics goggles from her coat's deep pockets, pressing them onto her face. "Doesn't look too bad... the auxiliary feed looks like it too most of the hit." Reaching into a different pocket, she drew forward a multi-tipped tool Kayto had never seen before and a patch of conducting putty. "I'll just cut here and..."

"Hey, just a minute!" said Kayto with concern, stepping forward to stop her. "That's a live circuit, you can't just-"

A sudden whirring stopped him in his tracks as the ventilation shafts coughed out a plume of dust and ash, coming back to life. The catwalk's lighting also intensified as the rest of the hanger's berths lit up one by one.

"I'll be damned," coughed Kayto, brushing off his uniform and looking at the massive, now lit hanger, dumbfounded.

"Relay efficiency improved by roughly twenty percent," announced Chigara. "That's probably all I can do until I get the rest of my kit."

"See?" demanded Asaga smugly, "Told ya' Chigara's a genius!"

Chigara gave a delicate laugh, like china clinking, shrinking from the praise.

"Well... I guess that's that," decided Kayto, his mind settled. "I'll have Ava give you a temporary access all areas chip; you can start repairs as soon as you're ready."

Ava nodded, "I'll oversee the repairs, Captain."

"Great, looks like we're in business," smiled Kayto, shaking Chigara's hand and closing the deal. "If you need anything, give a call to the bridge or my office."

"Will do, thank you Captain," agreed Chigara happily.

* * *

"Captain's log," dictated Kayto to the ship's computer in his office. "We've been in dry dock for the better part of the last week; the crew's been getting some well deserved rest and sleep while we're in for repairs and resupply. That engineer, Chigara, is really something; so far, we're two days ahead of schedule for repairs and she's gotten the _Sunrider_ back to full combat capabilities. The techs aboard _Sunrider_ can't stop talking about her and the repairs, bypasses, and fixes she's been implementing all over the ship. If we had someone like her for a Chief Engineer, I think we'd be set. Well... I guess we'll have to wait until our next paycheck before I can offer anyone a position; we spent the last of the fee from the Mining Union to resupply _Sunrider's_ armory and general inventory. Not that I can complain, Chigara's given us more than a fair deal and it's less than half of what we would pay getting the goods off the black market. I guess that Mining Union license is good for something."

"We'll be ready to set out again soon, so we'll have to decide what to do about our two guests. First Officer Crescentia still probably doesn't trust them, but Asaga and Chigara have been invaluable to our mission since we arrived at Tydaria; I think they'd do well on this ship if they stayed aboard the _Sunrider_. Maybe we should take Asaga up on her offer to take out those pirates and have her join our crew. As for Chigara... my gut says she'll go where Asaga goes."

Kayto looked out at Tydaria's orange globe and breathtaking rings for a moment, taking interest in what appeared to be a dust storm scouring part of the planet's northern hemisphere. "End Captain's log."

Stretching his legs and straightening his uniform, he walked out of his office with the intention of making his way to Ava, likely on the bridge during his absence. As he walked casually down _Sunrider's_ corridors, he stopped to exchange salutes and pleasantries any member of the crew he ran across. The general atmosphere was as upbeat as one could expect for a ship with a conquered homeworld, although Kayto arrived to the _Sunrider's_ CIC with the impression that his crew felt the same way as he did; eager to give some payback to the PACT in return for the favors they had received at Cera, but level-headed enough to understand that _Sunrider_ needed to bid her time until the opportunity to strike presented itself.

"Captain on deck!" announced Ava, saluting as she saw Kayto enter the CIC; the bridge crew followed suit. "Captain, I thought your shift didn't start for another three hours..." inquired Ava as the bridge crew returned to their duties and Kayto approached the command dais.

"That's right," he nodded. "I just wanted to touch base and plan out our next moves. What's the _Sunrider's_ status?"

"All systems green," answered Ava with satisfaction. "I'll hand it to Chigara; she knows her way around a ship. I expect she's putting the finishing touches on her work here. We'll be ready to leave dock within the hour."

"That's good news," agreed Kayto. "Now we just need to figure out where we're going. Thoughts?"

"First things first; like you said, an assault carrier without Ryders doesn't make sense. We need to find Ryders and pilots before _Sunrider_ even thinks about taking the fight to the PACT," said Ava, putting a hand on her hip.

"We've already got one interested candidate," pointed out Kayto.

Ava's eyes narrowed slightly, pinning Kayto with her gaze. With arms crossed, she was the model of skepticism. "You should be careful with that one; I know her type."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Ava sniffed, "Asaga's the type to look for thrill and danger. You're going to want someone more dependable than that."

"Uhh... right..." said Kayto slowly, not entirely sure whether Ava was still talking about staffing _Sunrider's_ empty hangers. "How do you even know that?" he demanded.

"Woman's intuition."

"But of course," Kayto sighed, putting a hand to his brow, imitating Ava's favorite move. "Carry on, Commander. The bridge is yours."

"Aye, Sir."

Kayto walked out of the CIC, chuckling to himself slightly. Even after so many years, Ava hadn't changed a bit since high school. Those days, she had warned him from more than one girl he had dated, citing some fatal personality flaw. In retrospect, he mused, she had been right more than once. Still, _Sunrider_ needed pilots and Ryders, and that was a fact independent of any intuition, a woman's or otherwise.

Taking the lift to Deck 2, Kayto exited to the _Sunrider's_ hanger, now, comparatively, a hive of activity with the restored power and repairs aboard the ship, serving as a repository for the materials and equipment Chigara had brought aboard for her work. Through the window, he saw that Asaga had scaled the Black Jack's right shoulder, tinkering with an open panel on one of the laser cannons mounted onto its back. Waving to catch her attention, he motioned for a word.

"Did you need me for something Capt'n?" asked Asaga, a smudge of engine grease on her cheek, after rappelling down the Black Jack and coming up to the catwalk via the lift.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to talk over our next few moves," offered Kayto, apologetic at having made her take the trip. "Is everything alright with the Black Jack?"

Asaga belted out a loud laugh. "Thanks for askin', but nothing ever troubles mah Black Jack," she said, crossing her arms and closing her eyes smugly. "Just doing a little tinkering to see if I could boost the power to Black Jack's lasers."

"Maybe you should let Chigara handle that," suggested Kayto, Ava's words fresh in his mind.

Asaga waved him off, "Hey come on, a pilot knows her Ryder best! Besides, I was just installing a minor upgrade. With the haul we got from the Mining Union, I figured I'd replace some of Black Jack's older parts. All it takes to upgrade a Ryder is cash for the parts and a 'pretty please' for Chigara! She's always got some kind of idea to improve Ryder systems."

"How'd you two meet anyways?" asked Kayto.

"She and I go back pretty far," started Asaga, happily launching into the story. "I think we met about five years ago; we were both girls back then. She was a refugee from a planet destroyed by a natural disaster or something. Anyways, one day, I was walking and I saw a bunch of dirty guys scaring her in the middle of the street, so I stepped in to scare them away."

"How'd that turn out for you?" asked Kayto, making a mental note to apologize for dismissing Ava's intuition.

Asaga grinned sheepishly. "Ehh... let's just say I _might_ have bitten off a little more than I could chew." Eyes misted with the past, the pilot touched her chin with an armored gauntlet, smearing more grease onto her face. "I would have won in the end, of course, but luckily for those guys, Chigara took out this gadget and zapped them silly. It didn't seem fair to space a bunch of unconscious dudes, so I let 'em off the hook that time."

"Lucky for _you_ Chigara was there," rebutted Kayto.

"Weren't you listening to the story, Capt'n?" demanded Asaga. "The fight was as good as over when she zapped 'em; I was just about to bust out my finishing moves." Waving aside Kayto's disbelief, she continued. "Anyways, we've been comrades in arms ever since!"

"So... about joining the _Sunrider_ ," transitioned Kayto, getting to the meat of things.

Asaga's eyes twinkled with excitement, "So have you decided to take my offer? Help me take out these pirates and I'll join your crew on the _Sunrider_. Tydaria's going to turn boring once those guys are gone anyways."

"So that's all you're after?" probed Kayto. "Just another chapter in your adventures?"

"Come on, Capt'n!" Asaga's cheeks blew out slightly with exasperation. "How often does a girl get to join up with an assault carrier? You and your crew seem like a decent bunch, even that Ava lady. Plus you're after the PACT, right?"

"After what they did to our homeworld?" asked Kayto stoically. "You bet."

"We all heard about what they did to Cera," said Asaga, her tone turning glum. "A hero of justice can't just stand by while they're going around glassing planets for fun. Somehow, I didn't think you were the type that was going to just take it laying down either. If we don't do something now, the PACT's going to keep on gobbling up planets and hurting people until they own the whole galaxy. That's bad for you, bad for me, bad for anyone who cares about justice or freedom. The way I see it, we'll be able to do a lot more together against the PACT than either of us can manage alone."

"Your beef with them seems to run deeper than just that," pointed out Kayto.

"Ehh... well... nothing as bad as planetary bombardment," evaded Asaga. "It's more... personal. Let's just say I'm in it for the heroics, alright?" she said, pushing back.

"Fine," said Kayto, letting the subject drop. Honestly, it didn't matter why she had pitted herself against the PACT. The Neutral Rim was full of tales of woe regarding the PACT and digging for her personal tragedy was neither helpful nor appropriate. Whatever her personal reasons, Kayto's gut told him her grudge against the PACT was sincere and, that, he could appreciate. "Tell me more about these pirates we're going after then."

Noting the "we," Asaga's expression brightened. Crossing her arms with determination, she answered, "They've been terrorizing this sector for ages! Nobody's safe from them; merchants, what passes for military here, not even unarmed civilians. That kind of thing just makes my blood boil! Their main base is hidden in the Tydarian asteroid belt; I say we take _Sunrider_ and go mess that nest up. Let's show them they can't pick on civilians like that!"

"Hidden?" inquired Kayto.

"Well... not exactly. We all know where they're operating out of, but nobody's got the muscle to make a move on them," said Asaga unhappily. "But now, we've got ourselves a bona fide assault carrier! We'll make quick work of 'em, Capt'n!"

"Alright," said Kayto, coming to a decision. "Let's do this. Welcome to the team, Asaga."

"I knew you'd agree, Capt'n!" said Asaga with a smile, punching the air. "Let's whack those pirates good and, after that, I'll put on one of your uniforms and we'll take it to the PACT together!"

The two shook hands again, Asaga saying, "I won't let you down, Capt'n! AH-HAHAHA!"

"Keep on practicing and you'll give Cosette a run for her money," smiled Kayto, turning back to the lift. "Try to keep out of trouble until the operation, Asaga."

Asaga's laughter doubled as the lift closed behind him and whisked him back to the _Sunrider's_ main deck.

* * *

"Eahh!"

Kayto took a hasty step back from Chigara, who dropped the holo she was carrying and inexplicably snatched the the hair ribbon off the top of her head, spinning to face him, breathing hard.

"Whoa! Hey, I'm sorry; didn't mean to sneak up on you like that," explained Kayto, holding up his hands. Curious as to why the lights in _Sunrider's_ workshop/engineering bay were on, Kayto had apparently startled Chigara in his investigation.

"Oh..." Chigara's face flushed and she knelt to retrieve her pad and returned the ribbon to her hair. "Captain Shields, I didn't hear you coming..." Calming down, she took a deep breath. "Was there something you wanted, Captain?"

"Just taking a look around; I don't think I've been here since _Sunrider_ launched. We've been flying without a Chief Engineer, so this workshop's been kept dark since we left dock at Cera," said Kayto, gesturing around the empty room.

"I see," said Chigara thoughtfully. "It's an impressive set up; I didn't expect a warship to have something like this on board."

"I think _Sunrider_ was always intended to have the capacity to independently upgrade or outfit her Ryders or even her own hull. The brass meant for this ship to be the first in a new generation of multi-purpose starship," said Kayto with pride. "It's impressive you've been able to repair our systems; it's the only thing my engineering staff can talk about. Even on Cera, these repairs would have taken a lot longer with a lot more labor to finish. Where did you learn to handle machines like that?"

"Hmm..." thought Chigara. "I guess it's always been like that. The people on my world were experts in technology, so I grew up around tech as long as I can remember. There are only a few of us left in the galaxy, so it probably seems really amazing to you, but, honestly, back on my world, I was nothing special. I wasn't even particularly good at the sciences." Chigara paused wistfully before continuing. "You should have seen my parents; they were amazing. They were researching some amazing technology; advanced life support, Femtotechnology that allowed us to synthesize complicated machines from thin air... To tell you the truth, what I do here would have seemed like child's play to my people."

"That's amazing," said Kayto with wonder. Likely, Chigara's people had wielded technology not seen since the fall of the Holy Ryuvian Empire and, perhaps, even exceeded it in certain capacities. "You're from Diode, aren't you?" he asked, the pieces clicking into place in his mind.

Chigara nodded. Everyone across the galaxy had heard of the wonders of Diode, where technology rivaling magic and the legends of the Holy Ryuvian Empire were real. A society built from intellectuals without peers, some had even postulated that the planet was established in secret as the flames of the Holy Ryuvian Empire burned low as a way to safeguard their secrets and technology until the time was right to reintroduce it to the galaxy. Compared to the people of Diode, the other starfaring planets and civilizations of humanity must have looked uncouth and barbarous. And yet, despite their technology, Diode was no more, consumed by a backfiring experiment, resulting in the infamous "Diode Catastrophe" six years ago. Save for a scattering of refugees, Diode had left no legacy beyond the stories children grew up hearing. Although Chigara's background explained her apparent affinity for the work aboard the ship, Kayto marveled at the odds of meeting someone from the legendary planet firsthand.

"I'm sorry," he offered sincerely, having now known the pain of losing a homeworld as well. "The Diode Catastrophe was a really terrible event... micro-blackhole wasn't it?"

"Mhm," affirmed Chigara sadly. "I was on my own after that, at least until Asaga found me. I'm sorry... I don't really like to talk about that day."

"Of course," Kayto nodded, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pry." The two stood in silence for a moment, each reflecting on their respective homeworlds. "Asaga mentioned that you built the Black Jack for her, is that true?" asked Kayto, restarting the conversation.

"That's correct," said Chigara, coming to with a smile. "Asaga used to pilot this old, surplus military fighter from the pre-Ryder era that she pulled out of the junk heap. I was always scared to death she would crash, blow up, or something, so I built her the Black Jack."

"It's incredible," said Kayto with wonder, "I've never seen a Ryder like it. Back on Cera, even our most advanced Ryders would probably be outdone by the Black Jack."

"Well... I didn't need to worry about standardized parts or mass production for the Black Jack," dismissed Chigara, blushing again and waving aside the compliment.

"You know, if you worked for an engineering company, you'd change the entire galaxy," insisted Kayto.

"Well... then I wouldn't be able to open a bakery..." Chigara's expression was shy, but earnest.

Kayto laughed, "That's true. Do you pilot a Ryder too?"

"Yup!" said Chigara happily. "I pilot the Liberty. I built it around the same time as the Black Jack. The Liberty is a support Ryder; I leave the gunning and fighting to Asaga, but if the mission's tough enough, I'm right behind her as her wingmate. Usually she doesn't need it though; the Black Jack's tough enough to fly solo most of the times. The Liberty's got automated repair drones, a full electronic warfare suite, and shield projectors. Speaking of which, your shield generator's fried beyond repair; you're going to need to get a new one somewhere and I don't have one just lying around the dock."

"Ah... that will complicate things for the operation we're planning..." mused Kayto. "Asaga probably mentioned this to you, but we're planning on taking out the pirate base in this sector. I was hoping to have shielding on our side for this one."

Chigara smiled, "That won't be a problem, Captain. I'll take the Liberty in with you two and provide support. So long as you stay within range of my Ryder, the _Sunrider_ will have shielding."

"You'd do that for us?" asked Kayto, impressed. "I like the sound of that; we've got an awful lot of empty Ryder bays that we need to fill."

"Sure, like I said, whenever there's a tough mission, I'm right behind Asaga in the Liberty," beamed Chigara.

"Great, bring the Liberty aboard; you can use hanger bay 02. I'll let the bridge crew know," said Kayto, spirits high.

"Actually..." Chigara looked sheepish again, "Liberty's already on board. Asaga called me as soon as you two finished talking and I had the autopilot dock with your ship." Waving her hands defensively, she continued, "Liberty's in bay 02 though; just like you wanted."

Kayto laughed, "And I'm supposed to be Captain aboard this ship; sheesh! No worries Chigara; thanks for the talk. We'll probably get ready to undock and find these pirates as soon as we batten down the hatches."

"Thank you, Captain," smiled Chigara one more time before returning to her holo as Kayto turned and left Engineering, making his way to the bridge once more.

No sooner had Engineering's doors hissed shut behind him, Kayto's bracelet chirped. "This is the Captain, go ahead," he said, answering the ping.

"Captain," Ava's voice came from his bracelet. "Incoming call for you from the Mining Union. Looks like Asaga's contact wanted to speak with you directly."

"Did they say what they wanted?" he asked, although he suspected it most likely had something to do with the _Sunrider's_ newly restored Vanguard Cannons.

"Business, probably," replied Ava. "The Mining Union's one of the biggest corporations in the galaxy. They control everything from mining ore to refining it into high-grade starship armor. Last I checked, they probably supplied half the navies in the galaxy with raw materials. With all their investments, they contract a lot of their security needs out. After what we did to the pirates, they probably want to talk about something along those lines."

"I thought as much," mused Kayto. "This might not be a bad way to keep ourselves operating. I'll take her call in my office. Thanks, Ava."

"Roger that," confirmed Ava, cutting the channel.

* * *

Making his way back to his office, Kayto settled into his chair and activated the FTL transponder which allowed the _Sunrider_ to access real time communications across the galaxy. A holographic projection of a severe woman, blonde and in her mid-thirties, dressed immaculately in an expensive suit, appeared. Straightening her glasses and picking at a microscopic speck of dust, the woman spoke quickly in a cold, professional tone. "Captain. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Sophita Brooks, Vice President of Operations for the Mining Union."

"Captain Kayto Shields of the _Sunrider_ , Cera Space Force," said Kayto, introducing himself as well. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Sophita's expression betrayed a hint of amusement at his use of "Cera Space Force," however, she let the moment pass without comment. "A business opportunity," she answered. "The Mining Union is always on the look out for reliable partners and... well let's just say we don't get the chance to work with a prototype warship or her Captain every day."

"I'm listening," invited Kayto.

"If you're agreeable, I'll have my staff forward you a dossier of contracts whenever our corporation wishes to engage the _Sunrider's_... services _,"_ said Sophita, all business. "Of course, it's entirely up to you whether or not to undertake the contracts, but, rest assured, the Mining Union will see you and your crew fairly recompensed."

"What sort of contracts?" probed Kayto, not entirely certain he liked the executive's tone and expression.

Sophita sighed, "Contracts of the sort that require a Big Stick, Captain. We're not hiring your crew to attend dinner parties and social functions; when the Mining Union requests your assistance, let us simply say we'd prefer a more direct and conclusive solution. I'll leave it to your imagination as to what that entails. As I said; the contracts will be offered to you and your crew on an entirely voluntary basis." Shrugging as though she didn't care one way or another, she continued. "Furthermore, should your ship require our services, I would be happy to serve as your trade contact at the Mining Union."

"Well that all depends on what you have for sale," shrugged Kayto in return.

"All the basic necessities of a modern life and polite society," offered Sophita with disinterest, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "Tactical nuclear warheads and other such staples... Just remember, Captain, so long as you have the will _and_ the money, the Mining Union will be more than happy to offer you our assistance."

"The two forces more important than any starship," nodded Kayto cynically, half-sarcastic.

"I'm glad we're on the same page, Captain," said Sophita dismissively. "Finally, as a gesture of goodwill, I'm having my staff forward you the latest intelligence regarding those ruffians in the Tydaria system. Needless to say, they've been a thorn in our side too long for comfort. Although we appreciate your crew's enthusiasm in pursuing them, we would rather the job be done properly. We leave the rest to your discretion, Captain." Without waiting for his reply, the FTL transponder deactivated, ending the call from her end.

"Charming," remarked Kayto to his empty office. Studying the forwarded scans and documents, his face grew longer. Raising his bracelet to his lips, he called Ava. "Ava, ping Asaga and Chigara. I want the three of you to come up to my office as soon as you can."


	4. The Moralist and The Prince

Yes, quick update in light of the last chapter's primarily dialogue driven content. Enjoy.

* * *

The three women entered Kayto's office together, Asaga and Chigara taking in the sight of his quarters, impressed.

"Captain?" saluted Ava, ignoring Asaga and Chigara's lack thereof with a frown.

"Come over here," invited Kayto, gesturing at the seats at his desk. "We may need to revise our plan to hit the pirate base." Pointing at the scans and intelligence from the Mining Union, Kayto let the three consult the new information for a moment before continuing. "Looks like the pirates have been getting ready for our attack. We're not going to be able to catch these guys by surprise and it looks like they're digging in for a fight."

Ava bit her lip, pooling over several scans of the pirate base showing multiple high thermal signatures. "This attack isn't going to be easy, even with the help of our two Ryders." Gesturing, she pointed to several other scans. "The pirate base is dug into one of the larger asteroids in the belt, looks like they've got multiple reinforced bulkheads and additional armoring; that facility can take a lot of pounding before cracking. The asteroid belt also makes it a perfect place for an ambush; I'll bet anything they've got Ryders and ships waiting to bounce us the moment we get into shooting range."

"Don't worry, Capt'n!" Asaga remained undaunted as ever. "Those pirates are a bunch of stinkin' cowards. They're used to picking on unarmed civilians and rag-tag freelancers. They're going to be shakin' in their boots as soon as they see the _Sunrider_ barreling straight towards them."

"Very well armed cowards, Captain," said Ava, crossing her arms at Asaga's optimism. "We should make sure _Sunrider's_ ready to take them on before we poke the hornet's nest. Chigara could probably help in that regard."

Chigara nodded, having kept quiet until then, "Captain, I should be able to get your engineering bay and laboratories up and running within a day. I'll be able to use any ship funds you accrue to enhance your ship's systems or those of the Ryders."

Kayto nodded, pleased, "Thanks Chigara. Then it's just a matter of funding... I guess we'll be doing a bit of freelancing ourselves then."

"We've already got a potential contract," offered Ava. "Several Neutral Rim worlds in this area have offered a significant sum for the destruction of a PACT FTL communications spire in the next sector. That spire is coordinating FTL communications for a substantial percentage of their fleet in most of the adjacent sectors. Tactical data, deployment orders, everything gets routed through this spire. If we were to take it down, it would slow down the PACT offensive, maybe even give some worlds a fighting chance."

"I'm listening," said Kayto, intrigued.

"Ordinarily, the spire would be protected by an entire fleet, but that's where our luck turns," Ava's tone turned smug. "Take a look at this..."

Calling up a news feed, Ava pushed the report under his nose. "Ion Storm of the Century," read Kayto aloud.

"The reserve fleet that was supposed to relieve the fleet guarding the spire was caught in the storm; they'll be delayed by at least a day. If we were to warp in now, that spire will have minimal defenses between the changing of the guard. Captain, if we pull this off, we'll slow the PACT advance down and collect a hefty reward," finished Ava.

"Just a moment, Capt'n! I got a job too!" cut in Asaga before Kayto could respond. "There's a whole network of some pretty nasty thugs who've been kidnapping girls and forcing them into the slave trade. Word has it that some big trade's going down between those thugs and a number of their clients from across the galaxy and my contacts got their hands on the coordinates where they'll be meeting. Capt'n, we're talking hundreds of girls being sold into slavery at this trade alone!"

"These guys have anything to do with Cosette's goons?" asked Kayto, revolted at the notion.

"Nah," Asaga shook her head. "Even they've got more class than this bunch. At least Cosette's people stick to murdering, thieving, and weapons smuggling. I heard she likes to cut off some choice parts from any slave traders she comes across... Actually, she probably would have tried to at least harass them or something if we hadn't scared her back to her nest," said Asaga, almost guiltily.

"Human traffickers," Ava shook her head in disgust. "Human dignity doesn't count for much out here, does it?"

"Listen," Asaga continued, "If we warp to these coordinates in the Astral Expanse now, we can crash the sale and rescue those girls. And if we get to rough up any of the buyers and sellers, that'll just be icing on the cake. We might even be able to shut the operation down for good! My contact said the Tydarian government can't do anything about the sale, but they're willing to pay a pretty generous bounty on those sickos and for any of the girls we rescue."

"Captain," Ava protested, "as much as the trafficking of those girls pains our collective conscience, we've got a war to win against the PACT. This opportunity for the operation against the communications spire won't present itself again!"

"Well those slavers won't stick around for a minute longer than they have to either!" retorted Asaga, "If we don't go right away, we'll miss our chance to take them down! _Sunrider's_ the only ship with enough firepower to go in there and make things right; we can't just abandon those girls!"

"Captain," Ava's eyes and voice were cold. "This is a military vessel and we have a war to win. Taking this communications spire down is clearly more important than arresting a bunch of low-life perverts."

Kayto closed his eyes, thinking hard and weighing both options. True, Ava's plan was indeed a stroke of serendipity that had the potential to put a serious thorn in the PACT's side for the foreseeable future, but Kayto wondered what their victory there would cost the hundreds of girls undoubtedly aboard the slave ships gathering in the Astral Expanse. From what he had seen of the system, if the local authorities didn't have the resources to protect their own shipping lanes, it was laughable to think they could mount a serious operation out in the adjacent sector.

"Captain, who knows how many lives might be saved if we took out that communications spire," pressed Ava, mistaking his thought for indecision.

"That's exactly right, Ava," said Kayto gently. "We don't know how many lives can be saved if we take down that PACT spire. But we do know how many lives will be lost if we don't act on the information Asaga's contact brought her."

"Captain..." Ava's tone wavered slightly, but she continued to look defiant. "You're too soft; saving those girls won't win us the war."

"No," agreed Kayto. "But if we lose our humanity to win this war, we'll be no better than the PACT. We're the only help that's coming for those girls and I won't doom them to a life of misery and abuse at the hands of those slavers. You have your orders, First Officer. Make ready to disengage from dock and prepare our ship for warp to the Astral Expanse."

Ava's head dropped, hiding her face behind her bangs. "Aye, Captain," she said with a salute, barely suppressed anger choking her voice slightly.

"You two," Kayto addressed Chigara and Asaga, "Do a systems check on your Ryders and make sure they're one hundred percent. We're going to get hit hard by those goons; make sure you hit them back twice as hard."

"Roger that, Capt'n!" whooped Asaga, giving him a salute.

Beside her, Chigara gave Ava a look of concern out of the corner of her eye, but broke into a cautious smile all the same as she raised her hand in a salute as well.

"Dismissed."

* * *

As Chigara and Asaga left the office, Ava remained, feet planted firmly on the floor.

"Was there something else, Ava?" asked Kayto as the door closed.

"Permission to speak freely, Captain," requested Ava stiffly.

"Always," answered Kayto with a gesture.

"What the hell are you thinking Kayto!?" she demanded, angry red blotches rising on her cheeks. "Stop a bunch of slavers over hitting the PACT back? Are you out of your mind? What about our mission!?" Ava slammed a fist down on the desk. "Damn it, I knew you were too soft!"

"Ava," Kayto's voice was quiet, gentle. "I know exactly how you feel, but we have to do what's right... the PACT will be there another day, but these girls won't unless we intervene."

"What about our duty?" Ava looked up at him, eyes moist with emotion. "What about our duty to Cera? Doesn't their sacrifice mean anything to you?"

Kayto shook his head sadly, "Letting these women lose their dignity as human beings won't bring the people we lost on Cera back. We have a duty to protect civilians, whether they're from Cera, Tydaria, or anywhere else in the galaxy. We can't just turn our backs because they're not from our homeworld."

Ava remained hunched over his desk, her chestnut hair hiding her face from view. Walking to her side, Kayto made to put his hands on her shoulders. "Ava..."

"DON'T!"

Kayto pulled his hands back as though burned, Ava's voice a slap in his face.

Straightening, Ava's eyes were steely and her jaw set. "Permission to return to the CIC and chart a course to the Astral Expanse?" she asked with a stiff salute, staring dead ahead.

"Granted," sighed Kayto as Ava turned on her heel and stormed out without waiting for an answer.

* * *

The Astral Expanse was a general term given to a vast region within the Neutral Rim. Devoid of useful planets, the Expanse had been unclaimed by any emerging galactic or Neutral Rim powers. Between the barren worlds and gas nebulae, however, many of the galaxy's less savory elements had found a sanctuary. Far from the prying eyes and hands of law enforcement, the Astral Expanse was a lawless frontier, even by the standards of the Neutral Rim.

"Prepare to transition to normal space," ordered Kayto from his command station. "Drop us out of warp inside the nebula here," he specified, tapping a gas formation on the starmap.

"Aye, Captain," answered Ava, nothing besides the merest hint of stiffness betraying their private conversation. "Disengage warp on my mark... mark!"

Chewing the end of his stylus, Kayto watched the main screen activate as _Sunrider_ arrived at the specified location just shy of the coordinates Asaga's contact had provided. Far away from any star system, the gas cloud was a cold, desolate place, lit with an even, ambient glow from the night sky all around. The nearest stars bright like gems, the nebula was undeniably beautiful, serenading the bridge as delicate whorls of interstellar hydrogen and helium wafted aside in the wake of _Sunrider's_ arrival. Within the nebula, any of the scanners pointed suspiciously in the direction of _Sunrider's_ arrival would be hard pressed to identify the vessel as military, potentially giving them the opportunity to do a few scans of their own before crashing the sale.

"Captain, multiple ships detected," announced Ava. "Scanners are resolving now. It looks like the slavers have one main mothership; scans indicate it's a heavily modified Imperial battleship. We've also got a number of other contacts; four ships I'm reading as destroyer hulls; they've also got multiple Ryders on patrol."

Kayto eyed the tactical screen thoughtfully. The four destroyers were likely the clients, purchasing slaves wholesale from the battleship, although judging from the way the ships had arrayed themselves, only a single destroyer had concluded negotiations, having docked with the battleship to effect a transfer of slaves and money. It was impossible to tell which ships the Ryders were based out of, but, likely, the slavers were watching each other as closely as they were any possible intruders. The whole set up was a well protected operation, but, if they were careful and crafty enough, _Sunrider_ and her two Ryder escorts would probably have enough firepower to gain the upper hand... probably. "Engines at half-power, bring us towards the slavers. Get ready to launch our Ryders on my order; we're only going to get one shot at this," ordered Kayto.

"Captain, we're being hailed," reported Ava.

"Is the avatar ready?" asked Kayto; Ava nodded. "Good, let's chat then, shall we? Respond on an open channel."

The slavers' representative materialized on the bridge, an uncouth looking man clinking with all the manner of expensively tasteless jewelry. His face a study in suspicion, the man's bulging, steroid fueled muscles rippled as he lugged a gigantic rifle one handed. "Y'all had better give my boys a reason not to blow your ship out of the sky, shit-for-brains. This ain't the place to be doin' any sightseein'."

"Relax, ass hole," said Kayto with a chuckle. "We just heard you boys were selling some quality merchandise... the kind of merchandise that might fetch a high price with some of our clients, see?" Smiling, Kayto could only imagine what the slavers were seeing and hearing on the other end. His audio signal would be rearranged through a series of filters and modulators before being transmitted to the slavers, hopefully achieving a level of rudeness and lack of grammar that would impress even the lowest criminality. As far as his visual avatar, he and Asaga had spent a good half hour pulling material from nearly one dozen of the ship's worst pirate-related holodramas in the entertainment archives, creating a composite avatar that violated at least thirty copyrighted personalities and, most likely, a number of civil statutes regarding common decency. The result was breathtaking, to say the least.

"Huh," answered the slaver, greed in his eyes. "Well, ya might have heard right... We might have some of the merchandise you're looking for, if your money's as good as your lip. Got plenty of good stock in the cargo bays, fresh from Tydaria, Aslon, and a dozen other worlds. You won't find any better or mo' obedient slaves anywhere in the galaxy, ha! Two hundred credits a head."

"Is that the same deal you're giving those shits on the other ships?" sneered Kayto, as Ava passed him a holo containing the long range scans and images of the slaving ships. "You got another thing comin' if you think I'm as stupid as they are."

"Hahaha, you know what man? I like you," laughed the slaver. "Those other guys are still negotiating terms, but maybe I could do you for a friendly discount... hmm? Hey... wait a minute... that's no pirate ship..." the slaver's eyes narrowed comically as he squinted at something on his end of the line, undoubtedly scans of the _Sunrider_ , now that she had departed the nebula.

"Ah, we were getting along so well too," smiled Kayto, keying his controls to deactivate the communication filters. "This is Captain Kayto Shields of the _Sunrider_. This is a bust; you and your clients are under arrest for the enslavement and trafficking of human beings. Except the _Mermaid's Scale_ , thanks for the tip off, boys," said Kayto, naming the client vessel docked to the slaver's ship, which had its name stenciled obligingly on its hull.

"What?! I knew those shit-heads couldn't be trusted! Blow 'em to hell! Cut 'em to pieces; don't let them get back on board with a single slave!" screamed the slaver.

"Captain; I'm detecting multiple weapons discharges," reported Ava, surprised at how easily the slavers had been duped and turned on their own clients. "The destroyer's breaking apart!"

"That simplifies things a little," said Kayto smugly. "Now for the hard part; Red Alert to all stations, all hands prepare for combat. Ryders, you are green for launch!"

"WHOOO!" screamed Asaga, flipping a series of switches, opening the throttle on the Black Jack, and savoring the hard burn as she felt her body being crushed into her crash seat with the sudden acceleration. The Ryder shot down the _Sunrider's_ launch tubes with almost reckless speed, the running lights in the tube turning into a solid band as the Black Jack achieved launch speed.

Moments later, the Ryder popped out of the launch tube, dropping out of the _Sunrider_ and below her before vectoring "up" and shooting past her prow. "This is Black Jack reporting," said Asaga, "Arriving at designated coordinates and matching speed relative to _Sunrider_."

"This is Liberty," chimed in Chigara with a good deal less chest pounding. "I'm arriving at my coordinates; activating shield arrays now."

On the main screen, Kayto watched as the Liberty's rear thrusters dimmed. The blue Ryder was a good deal more slender than the Black Jack, lacking its heavy armor plating, however, the similarities between the two Ryders' heads and torsos paid homage to their common creator. The Ryder's left armature had been fitted with a full body shield, testifying to the Ryder's more defensive role, while the right armature mounted a double barreled laser rifle; nowhere near as powerful as the _Sunrider's_ Trinity laser banks or the Black Jack's shoulder mounted laser cannons, but a versatile weapon all the same in the right hands. Liberty's most distinguishing features were the two large, round shield arrays mounted on its back, projecting a powerful protective field on friendlies within its range and defending against long range laser strikes. Also, mounted on the small of its back, the Liberty's other distinguishing feature were a series of automated repair drones which were arranged on their launch pad like a skirt, fanning out behind the Liberty. Capable of launching independently and drawing energy from Liberty's fusion reactor, the drones were capable of making emergency hull repairs and carrying out other essential repair functions, even in the middle of combat.

Kayto watched with interest as the Liberty's shield arrays fanned out slightly before pulsing with energy, broadcasting its shielding to the Black Jack and _Sunrider_.

"Captain, multiple Ryder signatures inbound; I'm reading Imperial surplus Ryders; five infantry class, two bomber class. Looks like the three destroyers are maneuvering to intercept vectors too," reported Ava.

"What about the slave ship?" asked Kayto. Although arresting the clients was also one of the _Sunrider's_ objectives, the rescue of the slaves and capture of the battleship was the primary goal of the entire operation.

"She's powering up her engines; looks like they were just drifting here. It'll be more than a few minutes before she's ready to go anywhere; a fully loaded ship like her moves and handles like a space whale," answered Ava.

"Let's make it count then," said Kayto. "Liberty; give Black Jack an uplink to your targeting computers; coordinate with _Sunrider_. We're going to take out that lead Ryder with our long range lasers," he said, tapping the tactical screen in front of him and indicating the infantry Ryder at the head of the slaver formation. "Fire Trinity laser banks!"

Laser light lanced from the _Sunrider_ , followed moments later by similar discharges from the Black Jack's smaller cannons, knifing through the night sky and signaling the start to the firefight. The slaver Ryder banked hard, engines pushed to the maximum as it arced in a tight parabola. Multiple beams of laser light sliced through the unshielded Ryder, melting the machine and cutting it apart, sending ragged chunks of its skeleton spinning as they came loose during the extreme maneuvers. Unable to compensate, the Ryder's damaged frame spluttered, venting atmosphere, before drifting dead in space.

"Multiple missile volleys inbound, brace for impact," called out Ava as the bomber Ryders let loose with their entire stock of missiles. Flak cannons reverberated as _Sunrider_ opened fire on the oncoming salvos.

"I got 'em," called Asaga, gunning the Black Jack forward. Dodging nimbly, the Ryder screamed past two missiles, flak cannons firing and nailing two others before the remnants of the salvo impacted onto Black Jack's armored frame.

 _Sunrider_ pitched forward gently, rumbling with the impact of the first two missiles. "Missile impacts confirmed," reported Ava, "minor damage to armor, no hull breaches."

"I'm alright too," called in Asaga, as her Ryder shrugged off the missile blasts. "Black Jack's holding strong."

On the main screen, Kayto eyed the four remaining infantry class Ryders as they streaked past the bombers, burning angrily towards the _Sunrider_ and her two Ryders, clearly intent on overwhelming their lines by force in an impressive show of bravado. With gambler's confidence, all of the Ryders dumped their full energy output into engine power, leaving none to fire their weapons with, banking that _Sunrider_ and her escorts would be unable to take all four of them out and taking the chance against their fellow pilots. _It'll take more than just luck,_ thought Kayto as he smiled grimly, quickly tapping orders into the tactical screen.

"Get ready to light them up Black Jack," directed Kayto, designating two of the inbound Ryders as targets for the Black Jack and two for the _Sunrider_. "Chigara, activate your electronic warfare suites and get ready to subvert their flak cannons on my signal."

"Roger that!" answered both Ryder pilots, the Black Jack gunning forward to meet the oncoming Ryders.

"Fire the Saviors!" ordered Kayto, targeting the infantry Ryder closest to the _Sunrider_. Although the Ryders were maneuverable targets capable of dodging heavy kinetic shots at range, the closed distance gap had significantly increased the odds of success for _Sunrider's_ targeting computers and gunners. Combined with the Ryder's complete lack of armor, even a glancing hit from a Savior slug would almost certainly spell doom for the Ryder.

Six loud reports sounded through the ship as the Saviors came to life, the massive recoil of the kinetic drivers absorbing into the ship's mass. On the main screen, a hole suddenly blossomed in the Ryder's torso as one of the slugs smashed head on into the Ryder before continuing straight through and out the machine's backside, sending a blast of severed mechanical parts, hull debris, and flash freezing gas out the other side. Completely gutted, the Ryder twitched for a moment before going dark, drifting with the momentum imparted by the impact.

Simultaneously, Black Jack met its first foe head on, streaking on an intercept vector in a deadly game of chicken. Almost simultaneously, the two pilots let loose with their assault weapons, spent shell casings trailing after their Ryders like metal vapor. While Black Jack's armor plates allowed it to plow through the hailstorm of bullets with little more than scratches and dents, the pirate Ryder was not nearly so lucky, shuddering with impacts as a hundred holes opened up along its thin hull. Swerving at the last second, Black Jack dodged the lifeless and riddled corpse of the slaver Ryder, its pilot probably killed by one of the countless slugs that had penetrated the hull.

"Chigara, now! Take out the remaining Ryder's flak cannons!" ordered Kayto.

"Scrambling their systems now," replied Chigara, voice cool, the sound of keystrokes filling her channel.

"Missiles away!" Asaga said happily, punching the Black Jack's controls with triumph.

"Hell Dart missile pods launched," Ava confirmed.

Without their targeting computers for the flak cannons, the two remaining Ryders were easy prey for the volley of missiles launched towards them. Hopelessly dodging, the Ryder pilots did not even have the chance to eject before being swallowed up by the explosions, their Ryder hulls shattering and vaporizing under the unforgiving weight of _Sunrider's_ and Black Jack's missile attack.

"Infantry Ryders neutralized," said Ava, grudgingly impressed. "Bombers coming around on full burn, destroyers entering weapons range."

"Evasive action!" barked Kayto, "Watch that fire!"

The lead pirate destroyer let loose with lasers at maximum range, unexpectedly targeting the Black Jack rather than the larger and less maneuverable _Sunrider_.

"Whoa! Close one," laughed Asaga, jerking her controls and putting Black Jack into an evasive roll, tumbling away from the laser fire. "Good thing those guys are near-sighted!"

"Engines to half-forward, bring us about to coordinates eight five by zero zero by two seven," ordered Kayto. "Arm and fire Trinities on lead destroyer; Liberty, give us targeting uplink! Black Jack, concentrate forward fire on lead destroyer as well."

Together, _Sunrider_ and Black Jack closed the gap with the slaver vessels, ignoring the bombers which had spent their primary munitions stock at the opening of the fight, with Liberty bringing up the rear. Blue laser light flickered, cutting into the lead destroyer's hull. Although atmosphere and fire erupted from the ship's hull as their lasers found their mark, the ship continued to limp forward.

Apparently having taken exception to the Black Jack, all three pirate destroyers opened fire with their spinal mounted deck guns, throwing volley after volley of kinetic slugs towards Asaga's Ryder.

Asaga gritted her teeth, fighting the acceleration as Black Jack's emergency evasion protocols kicked in, trying to dodge the kinetic slugs. The entire Ryder shook like something possessed as two or three slugs found range, striking Black Jack's armored hull with shocking force. Red lights erupted through Asaga's cockpit as numerous warning signs pulsed in sync with a whining alarm. "Damn it, I'm hit!" shouted Asaga, struggling to bring the reeling Ryder under control. Shuddering, the Black Jack fought it's uneven spin, righting itself and recovering from the assault. "Switching to auxiliary systems and back-up thrusters... I'm OK, but Black Jack's main weapons are offline," she reported.

"Cover the Black Jack," ordered Kayto as the _Sunrider_ pulled ahead of the damaged Ryder. "Fire Saviors at destroyer two and target the damaged ship with our assault guns!"

Still receiving targeting uplink from the Liberty, _Sunrider's_ Saviors sent their devastating kinetic payloads hurtling straight for their target, each shell landing on target with punishing effect. Simultaneously, the lateral assault guns opened fire on the previously crippled destroyer, their smaller caliber rounds exploiting the vessel's damaged armor and hull, tearing the ship apart with a thousand cuts.

"Liberty, moving to assist," Chigara's voice betrayed a crack of concern. "Deploying repair drones to Black Jack, now."

The blue repair drones blasted off Liberty's back, streaking towards the damaged Black Jack. Two of the drones latched onto hardspots on the Ryder's frame, stabilizing the tumbling Ryder as the other drones applied emergency epoxies to hull breaches and bypassed damaged electronics.

"Power's back on," confirmed Asaga happily, "Firing long range lasers!"

The shoulder mounted cannon's discharging with deadly light, Black Jack's lasers speared the destroyer still reeling from _Sunrider's_ Savior impacts. No sooner had the repair drones jetted back to the Liberty, the destroyer's reactor chained from catastrophic damage to containment inflicted by the Black Jack, obliterating the ship.

Desperately, the remaining destroyer let loose with another salvo from its deck gun as the two bomber Ryders locked weapons, on stand-by to exploit any damage to the Black Jack or _Sunrider's_ armor. Likely jittery and poorly trained, the pirate destroyer's gunner aimed for the Black Jack once again, missing by a long-shot.

"Let's finish this up," barked Kayto, "All weapons, focus on the remaining destroyer!"

"Saviors firing!" Ava confirmed. "Multiple impacts; she's all yours Black Jack!"

Black Jack opened fire with her pulse lasers, a rapid fire beam weapon grafted onto its left armature. The spray of laser fire consisted of individually weak pulses, however, the sheer number of energy "projectiles" made for an impressive damage versus power consumption ratio for targets without adequate shielding or armor.

On screen, the final pirate destroyer succumbed to their weapons fire, listing pathetically as multiple escape pods blasted from its crippled hull. Having lost their base ships and dry on missiles, the two remaining bomber Ryders began pouring machine gun fire into the _Sunrider_ futilely. Without any warp capabilities, the Ryders were essentially stuck and their pilots knew it. Asaga turned her pulse lasers on one of the bombers, dousing it with laser fire and slagging the bomber's armor.

"Oh, this is the part I hate," came Chigara's pained voice as she thumbed her weapon controls. Firing from the rear, Liberty added her own laser fire to the fight, pumping away with its laser rifle at maximum recharge rate and blowing away what was left of the damaged Ryder.

"I guess surrender's not an option for this guy," remarked Kayto with a grim smile as the remaining Ryder reloaded and continued blazing away with its guns. "Take him out before he scuffs up our paint job."

 _Sunrider's_ Trinity lasers flickered with deadly light, joined by laser fire from the Black Jack. At that range, neither weapon could possibly miss and the final Ryder disappeared in a brilliant flash.

"Captain! The remaining slaver ship is attempting to flee!" cried Ava as the main screen switched to the large slaver battleship, its engines redlining in an attempt to flee the destruction. "What the hell...?" she muttered as the lumbering ship's cargo bay opened. Half a dozen rectangular modules drifted out of the ship's cargo bay, drifting in the wake of the ship.

"Captain!" Ava's voice was panicked, "I'm reading life signatures inside those modules! Almost four hundred in total!" Clearly, in a desperate attempt to shed mass to reduce the drive spin needed to warp, the slavers had elected to eject their cargo.

Kayto's fists balled in horror; the slavers' callous disregard for human life was galling to the extreme. Packed like animals inside the cargo modules, Kayto estimated the slaves had no more than five minutes of air before they asphyxiated. More than that, a single stray projectile could penetrate the module's paper thin hull, killing the slaves as the module explosively decompressed.

"Liberty, Black Jack, secure those modules ASAP!" he barked, "Vector them towards the _Sunrider_ as fast as you can! Open our hanger bay doors for emergency landing and deploy electromagnetic brakes! Alert the crew to receive wounded and pressurize our bay as soon as the last module's in. I want those prisoners out of those boxes as soon as possible!"

"Don't let them get away, Capt'n!" yelled Asaga through gritted teeth as Liberty and Black Jack jetted towards the modules at maximum speed.

"Give me full power to engines! All ahead flank speed!"

 _Sunrider_ jumped forward, it's hanger bay opening along the ship's axis, swallowing the modules Black Jack and Liberty pushed towards her like a snake gobbling up eggs. As they hurtled into _Sunrider's_ hanger deck, the magnetic grapplers ordinarily used to decelerate damaged Ryders would catch the modules and drag them into the waiting hanger bays. Although the sudden acceleration and deceleration would be uncomfortable in the extreme for the slaves inside, broken bones and bruises were a small price to pay against asphyxiation by any stretch of imagination.

"Give me a firing solution for that ship as soon as we get a clear shot," ordered Kayto, steel in his voice. Gripping his command chair's armrest tightly, he waited with bated breath, heart pounding in his throat. At this point, it was a race between the slavers' warp drive, spinning faster with each passing second, against the recovery effort of his own ship.

"Last module is clear!" yelled Ava.

"Fire! All weapons fire!"

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors bellowed as her Trinity laser banks lanced out furiously, drawing every last available drop of power out of the ship's main reactor. Targeting the slaver ship's engines, the weapons impacted with deadly force, sending the ship spinning, engines flickering hopelessly against the damage. Kayto collapsed into his chair, exhausted; the slavers would never be able to jump after sustaining that kind of damage. Dead in the water, with fires on almost every deck, the slavers began to abandon their vessel, blasting off from the wrecked hull into the cold of the Astral Expanse.

Sighing, Ava crumpled beside him as well, the adrenaline leaving her system as abruptly as Kayto's. "Captain... I'm detecting multiple distress beacons requesting aid from the pirate life boats," she said, somewhat languidly. "I guess at least some of them survived. What are your orders?"

"Space, 'em Capt'n!" voted Asaga on the comms, her voice ragged with stress and relief. "Give 'em the same they tried to give to those slaves!"

"Asaga..." Chigara's voice was restraining, "Shouldn't we hand them over to the authorities on Tydaria instead?"

"Tydaria's justice system will take years to prosecute the case," pointed out Ava. "We shouldn't just kill them, but we don't have to rescue them either. It would be simpler to just leave them to their fates out here. Nobody's going to miss a pack of rats like this."

"Black Jack, Liberty," ordered Kayto. "Do a flyby of the battleship and make sure there are no additional slaves aboard." Turning to Ava, he saw her fingers hover over her controls, clearly contemplating squelching the distress beacons from the lifeboats. "When you're done with the flyby, begin search and rescue operations and retrieve those lifeboats. Ava, alert security and have them lock the pirates and slavers in the brig. We'll hand them over to the Tydarians once we make dock."

"Aye, Captain," sighed Ava, slightly disappointed. "I'll have the marines handle the prisoner transfers and guard the brig twenty four seven."

"But Capt'n!" protested Asaga, "Those guys could bribe their way out or something! They're too dangerous to let live!"

"That's enough, Asaga," said Kayto firmly. "I'm in no mood for any more bloodshed today. Those slavers are human beings too and, now that they've surrendered, we have an obligation to rescue them and surrender them to the law. I didn't come out here to turn into the same kind of monster these men are. We'll just have to hope that justice will be served by the authorities instead of at the barrel of our guns."

"Oh, all right, all right," conceded Asaga ungraciously, grumbling. "You're right... we're better than that."

Chigara's avatar's face split into a smile. "Thank you, Captain. Asaga gets overexcited sometimes... I'm glad you kept her on the right path."

"You bet, _Sunrider_ out," said Kayto, killing the comm channel with the two Ryders. "Come on, Ava," he said, motioning for his First Officer to join him. "Let's see what the situation in the hanger bay is."

* * *

 _Sunrider's_ hanger deck was abuzz with activity as the crew scrambled to provide assistance to the captives they had pulled aboard. Just about every cutting and welding tool on the ship had been brought down as the crew quickly cut holes for ventilation into the modules after confirming that no one was immediately on the other side with hand held scanners. Kayto and Ava watched with bated breath two crew members cut through the locks that kept the module sealed and hauled the bulkhead open.

"Holy Ryuvia..." gagged Ava as the stench of unwashed flesh and human excrement slammed into them like a solid wall.

Gesturing for a hand torch, Kayto shone a shaft of light into the slave module, illuminating a series of cells into which the slaves had been packed so tightly there wasn't even room to sit. Fearful eyes stared back at him before dropping to the ground, avoiding any eye contact as the captives tried to shy away from the bright light. The entire module was silent save for a quiet moaning and the sound of weeping, a pure, primal expression of human suffering that set the crew's filings on edge. Although the slavers had been primarily interested in abducting women, Kayto could see that a good third of the slaves were also men or children. Dressed in ragged and tattered remnants of whatever they'd been tossed aboard in, the entire scene was study in human misery and depersonalization.

Throat dry, Kayto swallowed the revulsion in his gut, addressing the rescued slaves and recording on his bracelet at the same time. "My name is Kayto Shields; I'm Captain of the _Sunrider_ , which you are now aboard. You are safe; step back from the bars and be patient while my crew cuts you out. We are prepared to offer first aid and humanitarian assistance. Remain calm, follow directions, and let us know if you are hurt." Turning towards the crew, he gestured as they hurried into the dank, dark confines of the module with their cutting tools, sparks flying as they got to work on the bars. "Ava, have the crew play that message to all the modules as soon as they cut the bulkheads open."

"Aye, Sir," Ava sounded nauseous, face pale as she stared at the inhuman conditions inside the slave module.

Before long, dozens of the rescued captives began to leave the modules, clinging together and blinking in the harsh lighting of the hanger bay, lead by crew to one of the other bays designated for temporary holding of the refugees until they would reach Tydaria. There, additional crew did their best to distribute emergency, foil wrapped rations and hot beverages, walking up and down the aisles of stunned captives with first aid kits and the like.

As Kayto drifted off to oversee the distribution of food, water, and medicine to the freed captives, Ava remained rooted at the first module, watching the crew wrestle with the locked compartments within.

"Th-thank y-you!" sobbed a woman just about her age, suddenly throwing herself down in front of Ava, clawing at the hem of her uniform, as yet another batch of captives passed. Ava's eyes widened in shock as the woman dissolved into a weeping mess, clutching her skirt as though she were drowning. "Y-you have no idea what they did! What they would have done!" she screamed, eyes wild.

Frozen, Ava rigidly stared at the woman's welts and scars, her mind completely blank, stunned beyond words. Slowly, she bent her knees and reached out, wordlessly stroking the other woman's filthy hair. The captive flinched horribly at first, but accepted her touch, sobbing even harder at the show of compassion. Still unable to speak, Ava gently helped her up before half-shepherding and half-carrying the woman away from the prison module and towards what comfort and help the _Sunrider_ could offer her; tears tracking down her own face.

* * *

Kayto collapsed into his office chair, exhausted, his uniform stinking of sweat and the inhuman conditions the rescued slaves had been kept in. "Accept call, Sophita Brooks," he sighed wearily as their Mining Union contact materialized, immaculate and sterile as ever in stark contrast with Kayto. Inwardly immensely grateful nobody had figured out how to transmit smells via FTL communications, Kayto arched his eyebrow, inviting Sophita to explain her call.

"Congratulations, Captain. That was quite the coup today," Sophita said, offering a tight smile. "Dozens of the galaxy's most notorious slavers under lock and key, hundreds of abductees and victims of coercion rescued, and quite a few pirate ships and Ryders sunk. I don't think I need to tell you that the Mining Union is impressed with your work; you'll find that we've transferred our standard rates to your account with a small bonus for the rescue of the captives."

"I thought the Tydarian government was paying for this job," frowned Kayto.

Sophita waved a hand dismissively. "Practically speaking, we're really the same entity. That's, of course, entirely off the record."

Kayto shrugged, Tydarian politics not really a point of interest for him at the present. "What's going to happen to the captives once we return to Tydaria. _Sunrider's_ not equipped or staffed to deal with the situation much longer; some of the refugees are in need of serious medical attention. We're also going to need to transfer their custody to a more appropriate agency."

"That won't be a problem, Captain," Sophita straightened a nonexistent wrinkle on her suit. "I've already alerted our local assets. You'll receive coordinates once you've returned to Tydaria for a habitat we're preparing as a refugee camp. You have my word that the Mining Union will see to their needs responsibly."

"What's in it for a corporation?"

"The public loves a good story, plenty of goodwill to be had," answered Sophita pragmatically. "The Mining Union shells out a few credits for shelter, food, water, medical supplies, and counseling; in return, we get an immediate PR boost from playing the philanthropist role. I can tell you it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying air time on holovision. Also, once those refugees get back on their feet, they'll want jobs, jobs the Mining Union can provide. Nothing inspires corporate loyalty like gratitude. It's a win-win scenario for every party involved."

Kayto breathed out, lacing his fingers behind his head as he kicked his chair back, his relief tempered by cynicism and corporate suspicion. "You guys find a way to profit from just about anything huh?"

"Will and money, Captain," Sophita's smile was cold. "Plus the Mining Union isn't as heartless a corporation as most people would like to think. Not completely anyways."

"Good to know," chuckled Kayto, "Thanks for calling; tell your people we'll be back to Tydaria in less than a day."

"We'll be waiting for you," nodded Sophita. "Good hunting on your next mission, Captain."

Winking off, the FTL transponder went dark. Unbuttoning the collar of his uniform, Kayto longingly contemplated a shower before his door chime interrupted the thought.

"Captain." Ava entered and saluted, equally disheveled, her uniform as grubby as his own. "A moment of your time, if you don't mind."

"We're off duty now, Ava," said Kayto, kicking out a chair for her. "No more 'Captain,' no more saluting."

"Yes, S- Kayto," she said, awkwardly settling into the offered chair and avoiding eye contact. "I... I just wanted to apologize for before..."

Kayto tilted his chair back again, closing his eyes before opening them and staring a the ceiling. "There's nothing to apologize for, Ava. It's your job to keep me on track and make sure we've discussed all the options on the table."

"Even so... Well... I'm just glad we did what we did, Kayto." Ava's eyes shone slightly, "If we had listened to me... those people would have..." she trailed off, shuddering.

"We'll never know what could have been or would have been. That's why we came out here in the first place," pointed out Kayto. "All we can do is take care of the people in front of us. We look out for each other first, and, somehow, we'll find a way back home."

Ava smiled for once. "Thanks, Kayto... I'm... I'm sorry about before."

"You already said that," he frowned.

"No." Ava's smile changed subtly, conflict entering into her features for a moment. "I'm sorry about everything I said, everything."

Kayto nodded, unsure what to make of the statement, but the moment passed and Ava's cool exterior descended once more.

"Of course, just because you were right this time doesn't mean you'll always be right," she said, half jokingly with crossed arms. "Next time we make a decision like this, you're still going to get full blast of my mind; we've still got a war against the PACT to win."

"I'm counting on it, Ava," agreed Kayto as she got up to leave. "I'm counting on you."


	5. Pirate's Nest

**Small celebratory update for the announcement of Sunrider: Liberation Day. You can see the announcement here:** **/liberationday/**

 **Also, as of last chapter, this fanfiction was recognized as an official collaboration project with Love in Space. This is now the official novelization of Sunrider! Check out Love in Space's announcement and badass cover art here:** **/announcing-a-new-sunrider-novelization-project/**

* * *

 _Sunrider_ plowed forward, it's arrowhead shape picking a path between the larger planetary fragments of Tydaria's asteroid field. All around them, microasteroids showered the hull, sounding for all the world like rain beating down on a tin roof. Any rocks large enough to actually inflict hull damage were blasted aside or into pieces by _Sunrider's_ flak guns as she picked her way through the obstacle course between the planet and the pirate nest they intended to raid.

Kayto watched the gentle, tumbling ballad of the asteroid field as the helmsman expertly dropped the _Sunrider_ underneath an oncoming planetoid. Although holodramas frequently portrayed asteroid fields as death traps filled with rapidly moving, colliding rocks the size of mountains, the truth was far more mundane. Having bled out the kinetic energy initially imparted to them millions of years ago during the formation of the Tydarian system from cosmic gas, the asteroids in the asteroid field had long ago stabilized into regular, predictable orbits that did not involve smashing into each other or into passing ships. With any standard navigation computer, a starship would be more than capable of plotting a safe course through the asteroid belt, making the helmsman's job as simple as following the dotted line; at least until combat maneuvers ensued.

"Captain; we're getting close to the target coordinates," said Ava nervously; so far, their voyage into the "pirate infested" asteroid field had been remarkable quiet, no doubt intended to lure the _Sunrider_ further in.

"Keep scanning those rocks," ordered Kayto calmly. "I'm a hundred twenty percent sure Cosette's got her goons positioned for a surprise attack; Ryders, are you ready for launch?"

"Just waiting on your command, Capt'n!" came Asaga's bright voice. "Don't worry, we'll give it to 'em twice as hard as soon as they poke their ugly mugs out of their hidey holes."

Ava sighed, "It's always the same with that one... I- contact! Directly ahead; Captain, I'm reading multiple pirate Ryders on an intercept vector with _Sunrider_."

"Go to Red Alert," ordered Kayto. "Launch all Ryders and brace for combat."

"Going to Red Alert," confirmed Ava as the CIC's lights turned a blood red and alarms sounded throughout the ship. "Captain; they're undoubtedly trying to draw us in; why else would they come straight at us instead of launching an ambush?"

"Probably," smiled Kayto. "My guess is they want to make sure we don't get out alive; for that, they'll need some heavy weapons, probably the kind they've got on their asteroid base. We'll just have to spring the trap if we're going to take them out."

Ava grunted unhappily.

"Hey, show a little confidence, Commander," poked Kayto. "They can't possibly know about our upgrades. Plus, we've got a pretty neat trick up our sleeves with Chigara on board."

"Incoming transmission; it's Cosette," said Ava, ignoring Kayto.

"Let's have it."

"Hmph," Cosette's tiny frame appeared on the bridge of the _Sunrider_ in her purple child-sized Ryder armor. "You've got some balls coming out here, Captain, I'll give you that much. I didn't think anyone would be brave enough to attack our base, but maybe you're just that dumb." Sneering, the pirate leader's expression burned with cold fury. "Boys, show these whelps what happens when you cross Cosette Cosmos!"

"Scramble Ryders," ordered Kayto, tapping orders into the tactical screen in front of him. "Hold position here, let them come to us. Fire Trinities at the closest Ryder once it's within range. Have our autocannons fire at these coordinates, give me a full burst."

 _Sunrider's_ engines dimmed as she slowed; Black Jack and Liberty taking positions around the ship. With Ryders leading their formation, the pirates would be forced to try to close the gap quickly or risk being picked off by laser fire one at a time. Of course, doing so would leave their destroyer support behind, giving the _Sunrider_ a few valuable minutes to even the numerical odds. As the pirate Ryders, four infantry class and two bomber class, drew within laser range, _Sunrider_ let loose with her Trinity lasers, spearing the head infantry Ryder. Spinning out of control, the pirate Ryder plowed right into the hail of autocannon fire, shredding itself to pieces.

"Black Jack firing!" Asaga cried out over the comms, putting her Ryder dead ahead of _Sunrider_ and taking point. Laser light nailed the next closest infantry Ryder, slowing it down, but failing to destroy the target.

"Chigara, you're up. Take out their support," ordered Kayto.

"Roger that, Captain," answered Chigara, tapping at her Ryder's consoles feverishly. "Electronic warfare suite operating at full capacity, boosting signal and uploading data."

Ahead, the pirate's asteroid base began to shift, armored plates pulling aside to reveal row after row of missiles and long range laser weapons pointed at the _Sunrider_. Ordinarily, the pirates would have been able to take potshot after potshot at _Sunrider_ as she engaged the enemy Ryders, unable to advance without sustaining heavy damage. However, as Chigara's digital attack began its warpath through their systems, it quickly became clear the pirate base would be experiencing problems of its own. Lights flickered on and off at random, the armored panels began to slide forward and back over the missiles, and the base's cannons began craning wildly, pointing every which way but the _Sunrider_.

Taking exception to the sudden change in plans, the pirate Ryders immediately angled towards the Liberty, the two undamaged infantry Ryders rocketing in for a close shot while their crippled comrade sluggishly raised and fired its laser rifle. Although the shot connected, Liberty's shielding absorbed the brunt of the attack, the remaining energy of the laser hit dissipating on Liberty's full body shield, leaving scorch marks where they landed. Behind them, the bomber class Ryders let loose with their missiles, both dumping full salvos at the Liberty.

"Cover the Liberty, fire all flak cannons!" called out Kayto as _Sunrider_ and Black Jack both nailed missile after missile out of the sky as they streaked past on a perpendicular vector.

"Minor damage sustained," Chigara's voice was steady despite several missile impacts on her Ryder. "All systems still green; I'm continuing to broadcast."

"Kill those Ryders before they get in close enough to take a shot at Liberty," ordered Kayto. Without Liberty's continued electronic assault on the pirate base, the lot of them would be sitting ducks for the heavy weapons on the rock, however, the power consumption of Chigara's computer systems and signal broadcast rendered the Liberty completely inert and reliant on the Black Jack and _Sunrider_ for protection.

Simultaneously, _Sunrider_ and Black Jack opened fire with their autocannons, sending a storm of bullets hurtling towards the three unarmored infantry Ryders, shredding their frames to pieces before they could even open fire on the Liberty. One of the pirate bombers drifted a little too close to Black Jack, allowing Asaga to spear the unshielded Ryder with a laser blast from her shoulder cannons. As it tumbled, engines damaged, _Surider_ let loose with her pulse lasers, pelting the Ryder with fire until its core detonated.

"Pirate destroyer entering combat range," announced Ava. "Incoming laser fire, all hands brace for impact!"

Laser light splashed over the prow of the _Sunrider_ , some of it absorbing into the projected shielding from Liberty while the remaining beams vaporized chunks of her ablative armor.

"Hull remains intact," reported Ava. Although the lasers had found range, the armor on _Sunrider_ , once vaporized, provided a cloud of dispersing, high albedo vapor cloud that would scatter the laser light, rendering it harmless once coherence was lost.

"Return fire, give them our Saviors; Black Jack, the last Ryder is yours." ordered Kayto as _Sunrider's_ guns let loose. Newly upgraded, courtesy of Chigara's expertise, _Sunrider's_ Saviors had never been so accurate nor powerful. The six kinetic slugs raced towards the pirate destroyer, smashing into its hull with deadly force, tearing through its decks like tissue paper. One of the slugs must have found its main reactor, as the entire ship exploded violently, scarring the nearby face of an asteroid with a new crater. Meanwhile, Black Jack hosed down the final Ryder with a generous stream of pulsed laser light, slagging the Ryder's external parts. On fire, thrusters non-responsive, the Ryder careened into the side of an asteroid, smearing itself and its pilot across a kilometer long impact streak.

Gunning forward, the final pirate destroyer let loose with its deck guns, trying to score a hit against the Black Jack, apparently having decided _Sunrider's_ armor made for too tough of a target. The fired kinetic projectiles whizzed past Black Jack with barely a scratch as Asaga's piloting skills gave the pirate gunner the slip. Unforgiving, _Sunrider_ closed the distance to knife-fight range and retorted with its own deck guns at point blank, her Saviors eviscerating the ship, spilling open her hull to the deadly grasp of vacuum. With a clear line of sight and no further distractions, Black Jack took a long range shot with its laser cannons at the heavily armored pirate base, drawing a line of destruction against its surface installations.

"Fools! What are you doing!?" screamed Cosette's whiny voice over an open channel. "Kill them already!"

"Not this time, Cosette," gloated Kayto, unable to resist provoking the pirate. "Your days in this sector are over."

"Captain... you've got guts, but you're naive," hissed Cosette. "You won't kick us out of our homes that easily!"

"Warp signatures detected!" cried Ava, "Multiple new pirate contacts!"

Kayto chewed the inside of his cheek, studying the tactical screen. Dropping out of warp in an asteroid field was a risky proposition; a single miscalculation and a ship could drop out on top of an existing mass, triggering an explosion resembling nuclear fusion's violent cousin as their atomic nuclei overlapped. Even under optimal conditions, the drift one expected from dropping out of warp made the prospect too risky for any sane captain. It was a mark of Cosette's desperation and the pirate's dedication that she had ordered her forces to perform such a maneuver. Apparently the gamble had paid off however, as her reinforcements arrived without incident, although the warp drift had positioned her Ryder platforms behind the base, rather than in front to support the destroyers. "Same strategy applies," announced Kayto. "Liberty, keep that base offline; Black Jack, fire on that base as fast as you can cycle those heavy laser cannons and launch all missiles at destroyer D."

Without the flak support of the Ryders, the old surplus destroyers the pirates had scraped together were easy prey for Black Jack's missiles, one of them taking a full salvo to her starboard side to devastating effect. "Fire Trinities at the damaged destroyer, target the other one with our Hell Darts!" ordered Kayto.

 _Sunrider_ let fly with her weapons, executing the damaged destroyer with a quick sweep of her lasers. As _Sunrider's_ Hell Dart missiles contained significantly higher payloads than the Ryder class missiles Black Jack fired, her salvo's impact on the remaining destroyer literally burned the ship into a husk of its former self.

Almost pitifully, the pirate Ryders threw themselves forward at the _Sunrider_ in a show of defiance, two of them falling as Black Jack and _Sunrider_ speared them from afar with their laser weapons. The remaining two infantry Ryders hurtled forward, pumping away with their laser weapons at _Sunrider_ , scoring multiple hits along her starboard side. From behind, the bomber Ryders let loose with missiles targeted at _Sunrider_ , their warheads detonating viciously onthe already damaged hull armor.

"Hull breaches!" yelled Ava as _Sunrider_ pitched and alarms blared. "Multiple sections compromised on Deck 1 and 2, sealing emergency bulkheads and re-routing systems. No reports of fatalities."

Pressing forward, _Sunrider_ and Black Jack batted the two infantry Ryders aside with a hailstorm of bullets, paying the favor back tenfold before torching one of the bomber Ryders with their lasers.

"Take this!" screamed Asaga, gunning forward at the final pirate Ryder. As Black Jack's close quarters weapons activated, the pirate Ryder blazed away with its machine guns, the rounds bouncing ineffectually off Black Jack's armor. A super high-tensile strength blade deployed from its protective sheath on Black Jack's left armature as its pulse lasers folded away. Likewise, Black Jack's right autocannons retreated while a plasma cutter ignited, forming a flattened blade of super heated plasma. Hacking and slashing at the enemy Ryder, Asaga could almost feel the other pilot's panic as the blades disassembled the Ryder effortlessly, rending through its armored plates with no more difficulty than through the vacuum of space.

"All weapons, fire!" ordered Kayto. "Target the pirate base!"

The asteroid shuddered with impacts as _Sunrider's_ Saviors and Trinities dug into the rock, shattering and burning through armor, literally shaking the entire base apart. As _Sunrider's_ Savior cannons reloaded and fired yet another salvo into the bedrock of the pirate base, the entire complex broke apart as the asteroid crumbled into several pieces moving away from the impact site. Steel girders twisted and snapped like rubber bands as fire and flash-frozen atmosphere blasted out of the damaged base's hull. As fires consumed what was left and secondary explosions chained through the base, several smaller pirate ships jetted out of the rear of the base, flames roasting their tail feathers. Without hesitation, the ships immediately performed emergency warps almost as soon as they cleared the base, disappearing to some other godforsaken pirate haven.

"Stand down Red Alert," said Kayto with a smile as the CIC burst into cheers. "Black Jack, Liberty, come on back to base."

As the crew laughed and cheered, emotions running high, Kayto sat back in the Captain's chair with satisfaction before turning to his right to Ava.

The woman's face split into a tiny grin as they locked eyes, the atmosphere in the CIC proving to be infectious. "Nicely done, Captain. That was... that was really good," she said, her cool failing her as she rode the waves of jubilation. "If you keep those tactics up, I guess we do stand a chance against the PACT.

"Of course we do, Ava," reassured Kayto. "Thanks for your hard work; I couldn't do it without you. This is just the start of our story; we've got a long ways to go."

"And I look forward to seeing how it plays out," answered Ava, smile widening. "Now, get out of here before I make a fool of myself and go to the hanger to meet Asaga and Chigara." Waving her hands in a "shooing" motion, Ava chased him from the bridge. "Go on, I've got things covered here. Go celebrate with those girls before I change my mind."

* * *

As Kayto reached the hanger deck of _Sunrider_ , Black Jack and Liberty had just finished docking and powering down, hanging in their frames like massive statues. Although both Ryders bore the wounds of their battle against the pirates, neither machine looked to have any damage that Chigara wouldn't be able to set right.

"Capt'n!" Asaga came barreling out of lift 01, bursting with energy and cackling wildly. "AH-HAHAHA, we did it! That' pirate nest is history!" Beaming happily, she straightened her back and faced him directly. "And as promised, I hereby accept your offer to join the crew of the _Sunrider_. If you've got a war against the PACT, sign me up."

Without waiting for his answer, Asaga saluted proudly, raising an armored gauntlet to her brow. "Asaga Oakrun, at your service, Capt'n!"

Kayto returned the salute and smiled, "Welcome to the crew. The PACT's getting stronger each day and we're going to need every pilot and bit of help we can get to make a difference." Turning a bit more somber, he checked one last time, "Asaga, you're sure about this right? I mean, we'll be leaving everything behind and there's no telling when we'll come back."

"An adventurer never stays in one place too long, Capt'n. So long as I've got mah Black Jack, everything's going to be just fine," said Asaga with a dismissive gesture. "Besides, things around Tydaria will get boring without Cosette's goons bothering the locals."

Kayto snorted softly, "What do you suppose will happen to them?"

"Who knows?" Asaga sighed, carefree. "They'll probably run and dive into another hole they call home. But they won't be able to hurt the people here for a while, not until they rebuild their fleet. When that happens... well they'll probably come looking for some revenge," she finished, cheerfully.

"Looks like we made some enemies today..." mused Kayto, thinking about Cosette and wondering if she was one of the survivors who had fled at the battle's conclusion.

"Don't worry 'bout a thing, Capt'n!" Asaga's grin was infectious. "If they come looking for more, we'll give 'em as good as they got today, that's a promise."

"I suppose you're right," said Kayto, deciding to take the victory as it was and worry about the future some other day. "What about Chigara? Do you think she'd come along too?"

"I'm sure she'll let you know," said Asaga with a knowing wink. "She said she wanted to talk to you, so I'll clear out and give you two some space."

"Alright," agreed Kayto, "Ava's up on the bridge; she'll get you set up to move into one of the pilot's quarters. If you need anything, let one of us know."

"Great!" Asaga's excitement was barely contained. "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to a room and bed; sleeping on board the Black Jack gets old fast!"

As she disappeared down the catwalk, metal boots clinking with each step, Chigara's head poked out from lift 02. Catching her glance, Kayto waved her over.

"Great work out there, Chigara," he offered as she came to stand beside him, looking out at the two Ryders in the hanger. "Welcome back."

Chigara's face lit up and she gave him a sheepish, sideways smile. "Eh-heh... Really? I didn't do much, honestly..."

"We would've been toast if the pirate base had gotten a chance to take us on," reassured Kayto. "If you hadn't been there, things might have gone totally differently."

Chigara said nothing, but broadened her smile, inwardly pleased.

"So what are your plans now?" prompted Kayto.

"Well... things are going to get lonely with Asaga gone... and the bakery isn't doing too well..." Chigara hinted, tapping one her toe to the deck nervously. "I... well... maybe..."

"If that's the case," offered Kayto, interrupting her as she fumbled for the words she wanted to find. "Why don't you join the _Sunrider's_ crew like Asaga? I could definitely use another pilot, and, frankly, I've got an opening for Chief Engineer I'd like to fill."

"E-eh!?" Chigara sprang back in surprise. "C-Chief Engineer!? _And_ pilot? Is that even allowed? Can you just do that?"

"Of course!" Kayto laughed. "As _Sunrider's_ Captain, it's my responsibility to make sure my departments are staffed by the best candidate. After the work you did on her, I'd say you more than earned the position; the rest of the crew know that's true too, so you'll fit right in. On top of that, you're one heck of a Ryder pilot; you might just be the busiest person on this boat if you take the job."

"Hehehe," Chigara laughed delicately, closing her eyes and smiling with delight. "If you put it like that, then I don't really have much of a choice, do I? I'll be in your care from now on, Captain. Thanks for letting me on board..."

"Welcome to the crew, Chief Engineer Chigara Ashada," saluted Kayto as Chigara blushed and gave him one in return. "Asaga's already gone on ahead to the CIC to talk to Ava about moving into the pilot's quarters. If you go now, you should be able to catch them."

"Understood, Captain. I look forward to working with you," Chigara said, giving him a final backwards glance before she hurried after Asaga.

Looking out at the two Ryders in _Sunrider's_ hanger, the emptiness of the place seemed to diminish. Although the _Sunrider's_ crew had lost much in the past two weeks, their latest victories and new found friends were, Kayto hoped, only the beginning of something much bigger. For today, however, he wanted the crew to celebrate and to internalize some of the pride he felt for their fortitude and accomplishment in the face of insurmountable odds. " _Things are just getting started,"_ he thought to himself. _"We're going home... not today or tomorrow, but it's a promise. We're going home."_


	6. The Alliance Job

Kayto sat at his office, glumly considering the growing mountain of paperwork that had been accumulating on his holo. For the last two weeks, _Sunrider_ and her crew had been wandering between some of the less traveled paths in the Neutral Rim, chasing after minor criminal gangs for bounties and launching hit-and-run attacks on the PACT's overstretched supply lines. Neither entailed particularly exciting or glorious work, although it was, on occasion, dangerous. Primarily, the missions served to keep the crew focused and alert while awaiting another opportunity, either to deal a decisive strike to the PACT like Ava's assault on the communications spire, or to make contact with some new recruits or other independent elements.

Unfortunately, no such opportunities had presented themselves; the PACT continued their encroachment on the Neutral Rim, having accepted the voluntary surrender of six additional major Neutral Rim planets and forcibly conquered two others, utilizing the same, barbaric orbital bombardment techniques they had visited upon Cera. In the span of just two weeks, millions of additional civilian and military deaths had been added to the grim toll of the PACT's war against the Neutral Rim; testimony to the fact that their occupation fleet had completely embraced indiscriminate slaughter, drawing no distinction between combatants or unarmed civilians. Although _Sunrider_ had yet to witness such an atrocity, whispers of PACT attacks on any vessel, up to and including refugee ships, filled any ear that cared to listen. Grimly, Kayto scanned the news holos each standard day, fearing that the end of the Neutral Rim's independence was fast approaching in the wake of the PACT war machine.

 _Bing Bing_ ; Kayto's door chimed.

"Come in," he said, grateful for the distraction from the monotony of paperwork.

Ava entered his office, all business as usual. Unfortunately, despite Kayto's hopes otherwise, the thaw in her personality over the slaves' rescue had been temporary. Except for the brief moment they had shared in the immediate aftermath of the rescue, Ava had returned to her usual cold exterior. Some aboard the ship were even starting to joke about her rigid adherence to regulations, referring to her as _Sunrider's_ "seventh Savior," for her unerring accuracy in nailing and obliterating any regulation offense or offender. At least Kayto hoped it was a joke; nobody seemed to be laughing. For the last two weeks, she had been completely in her element, enforcing day to day routines aboard the ship. Whereas Kayto found himself increasingly mired and frustrated with the lack of change, Ava seemed to take comfort in the predictability of the last two weeks.

"Captain, incoming transmission for you on the FTL beacon. It's the Solar Alliance; Admiral Harold Grey wants to speak with you," she said without so much as a greeting.

Kayto's mind did a double take at the name; even out in the Neutral Rim, the Grey family name commanded renown and respect. "An audience with the Admiral? I didn't realize we were so important. Looks like we're moving up in the galaxy, Ava," he joked.

Ava's face remained impassive. "Feel free to answer the call anytime you like; I'm sure he'll hold," she bit back, turning to leave.

"Ava," he called out, "Stay. Let's hear what Admiral Grey wants with us."

Keying the FTL transponder, he accepted the call, Admiral Grey's image coalescing from a hundred motes of light. Tall and classically handsome, the Admiral had aged gracefully. Although his hair and short, neat beard were white, and his face lined, he looked remarkably fit with sharp, penetrating eyes. One look at the Admiral and Kayto knew the other man was not someone to be taken lightly. Dressed in the white and green colors favored by the Alliance Navy, his uniform was perfectly pressed and stiffly starched, emblazoned with a plethora of medals and awards, as well as an insignia of his rank as an Alliance Admiral.

"Greetings, _Sunrider_. This is Admiral Grey of the Alliance Space Force," said the Admiral in a deep, clear voice, inclining his head politely.

"A pleasure to meet you, Admiral. I'm Kayto Shields, Captain of the _Sunrider_ ;Cera Space Force, and this is my First Officer, Commander Ava Crescentia," introduced Kayto.

"You must accept my condolences for the tragedy that has befallen your great planet," offered Grey, "It pains me each time I hear a Neutral Rim world's sovereignty has been crushed underfoot by the PACT war machine."

Although the Admiral's tone was sincere, Kayto and Ava both accepted the condolences with a grain of suspicion, true Neutral Rim citizens to the core. Although the Solar Alliance had never pointed guns at the worlds of the Neutral Rim, the citizens of the neutral worlds harbored no less suspicion towards the Solar Alliance than they did the PACT. More than one neutral world had been "invited" to join the Alliance under almost coercive terms in exchange for economic bail out or humanitarian aid. To both Ava and Kayto, the Solar Alliance walked around the galaxy with a stick almost as big as the one the PACT used; they just insisted it was a walking cane.

"Thank you, Admiral. The PACT must be stopped at all costs, of this, I'm sure," said Kayto, choosing his words carefully.

"I understand your ship has been operating as a freelance vessel since the fall of your government," said Grey, lacing his hands in front of him and leaning forward towards Kayto and Ava. "It should be unsurprising, then, that I'm calling you regarding a proposal for work."

Kayto nodded; being Captain of an assault carrier, without a doubt, made finding work a fairly easy affair. "Go ahead, you've got our attention."

"Our government dispatched an envoy of diplomats to the neutral world of Versta quite some time ago to discuss the possibility of their joining the Alliance," explained the Admiral, conjuring up a wireframe model of the planet complete with details and coordinates scrolling down an information window. "Unfortunately, it would seem that negotiations did not prove fruitful and Versta is now directly in the path of the advancing PACT invasion fleet. My government would like to contract your vessel for the safe extraction and return of our diplomatic mission before the PACT invasion fleet arrives and executes them. We are, of course, prepared to reward your crew handsomely for the service."

Kayto chewed on the story for a moment. "Surely the Alliance has any number of starships available for duty," he pointed out. "Why even bother hiring us?"

"Because the Alliance is not in the business of violating the sovereignty or neutrality of the Neutral Rim worlds," replied the Admiral smoothly. "Versta has declined to negotiate for free passage of Alliance military vessels and we believe the situation is too dangerous for our diplomats to leave Versta without an armed escort. We are, therefore, obliged to contract the services of a neutral third party," he concluded, inclining his head towards Kayto and Ava once more.

"You'd think that the Verstans would be more flexible in this regard," pressed Kayto, smelling something fishy. Despite the Admiral's impression of reason and transparency, Kayto could not shake the specter of suspicion that hung over his shoulder.

"Unfortunately, with the imminent arrival of the PACT fleet, the Verstans have become... agitated." The Admiral sighed wearily. "They've taken to blaming the Alliance for involving them in the conflict; unfairly, I might add. Suffice it to say, the last thing the Verstans wish to see at this point is a heavily armed Alliance patrol in orbit over their world."

"These diplomats must be important; your government seems to be going to lengths to secure their safe return," observed Ava, equally suspicious.

"Not per se, they occupy relatively minor government posts from what I understand." The Admiral's voice grew more serious. "The reason why the Solar Alliance is so insistent in this instance is due to the current political climate. As you know, our Senate is deadlocked with indecision with regards to a proper response towards the PACT's aggression towards the Neutral Rim. If, however, these government officials were to be captured and executed by the PACT, my government will view the incident as a declaration of war. The Solar Alliance will have no choice but to declare war on the PACT if that should come to pass. These orders come from the honorable President Alythe, himself, who has made it clear to my office that intergalactic war with the PACT over a, forgive me, minor Neutral Rim world would be an unacceptable outcome."

"A war between the PACT and the Solar Alliance would end up claiming billions of lives, at the very least," mused Kayto. "I can appreciate it's not a decision one rushes into; perhaps there will be a better time and place for the Alliance to provide leverage against the PACT."

"A matter for our fearless politicians to decide, I'm afraid, hmph." The Admiral let loose with a derisive snort, revealing for a moment his personal feelings on the matter. "At any rate, those are your directives; straight from the Presidential Office."

"You've got a deal, Admiral," agreed Kayto, coming to an executive decision. Regardless of what wasn't being said in the briefing, the job was too good of an opportunity to pass up. If things went well, the entire affair would be a milk run; a very well paid milk run. Ava nodded her assent beside him. "An operation against the PACT is a good operation in my books."

"Excellent. My staff will forward the relevant details to your First Officer, Captain. Your services and capacities to... judge the situation come highly recommended; I expect results. Grey out."

The Admiral's hologram dissolved and Kayto turned to Ava, "A job from the Solar Alliance; I wasn't expecting that when I woke up today."

Ava shrugged, "With all the chaos the Neutral Rim's been in, everyone wants a hired gun these days. It helps that _Sunrider_ is one _Big_ gun. We could be seeing a new golden age of privateering out here."

"We might want to swap out your uniform for something more eye catching then," suggested Kayto in a serious voice, squinting one eye and miming several measuring gestures over Ava as she sat with her limbs crossed, unimpressed. "I'm thinking something with a bit more skin... And heels. _High_ heels."

"No." Ava's voice was humorless as she glared at him, suggesting he was on extremely thin ice. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath.

Giving a theatrical sigh, Kayto continued the conversation. "What's the political situation between the Alliance and the PACT these days anyways?"

"Remind me again how they let you captain the _Sunrider_ without passing modern history?" nipped Ava, still nettled over his previous comment.

"Ouch, ouch..."

Rolling her eyes, Ava launched into a succinct summary, her voice switching to lecture mode.

"The Solar Alliance is widely recognized to be one of the major powerhouses in galactic politics. It's a military, economic, and research alliance between Solaris and over a hundred other worlds, some big, some small. They're structured as a galactic democracy, each world nominating representatives based on population to the Solar Senate on Solaris to lobby on and vote on issues affecting the entire Alliance. Of course, since each senator represents close to a billion constituents, whether the Alliance is an actual democracy depends on your definition. Recently, the Solar Senate's been paralyzed by debate and infighting, just like the Admiral said. The United Universalists are pushing for a military response to the PACT incursion on the Neutral Rim; they believe war is inevitable and that the Alliance needs to act before allied worlds can be threatened directly. On the other hand, the Progress Party believes it can negotiate a political solution with the PACT, in essence, trading the Neutral Rim for peace between the two powers. With all the debate, practically nothing is getting done in the Solar Alliance, leaving President Alythe as a lame duck. So far though, he doesn't seem like he has any stomach for war; without the support of the Senate, he's been trying to avoid war with the PACT at all costs and has been keeping the Alliance Navy from getting involved in border disputes by withdrawing them from the frontiers of Alliance space."

"I grew up hearing some not-so-great things about the Alliance," reflected Kayto. "Most of it from you, mind."

"Not every world wants to join, as much as the Alliance would want you to believe," said Ava. "Some worlds are too far away to benefit, others, like Cera, just want to be left alone because they're doing fine as it is. When the Alliance sets its sights on something, it usually tries to buy what it wants, but that doesn't mean every world has joined their ranks completely voluntarily. Either way, being a part of the Solar Alliance comes with benefits and downsides. For Cera, the advantages simply never outweighed the disadvantages, what with the encroachment upon our political freedoms and planetary industry."

"What about the PACT?" inquired Kayto, impressed at Ava's substantial political knowledge. Sometimes he wondered if she wouldn't have made a better career out of politics; Foreign Minister, perhaps. If Cera had any government to speak of left...

"The People's Alliance for Common Treatment, which we call PACT for short, started as an independence movement within the New Empire. When the New Empire was still around, they ruled numerous star systems from New Eden, defeating the remnants of the Holy Ryuvian Empire and taking the galaxy for themselves. Although they portrayed themselves as enlightened demi-gods, carrying the torch of civilization to the worlds lost in the dark age after the fall of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, the truth was that the New Empire was a brutal, imperialistic dictatorship. Even though New Eden was practically a paradise in of itself, the Imperial navies wrested the treasure, resources, and labor of a hundred worlds to empower and enrich New Eden, building their so-called "Golden Age" from the suffering of their citizenry and forcing the masses to live in poverty. Eventually, they reached a tipping point in their distribution of wealth and resources and the masses revolted, ending the New Empire after years of civil war and bloodshed, establishing the PACT in their stead, a system where all the worlds would share their wealth and resources equally and strive for economic independence and sustainability," instructed Ava, clearly enjoying herself.

"They sound like the good guys when you put it that way; what the hell are they doing in our backyard?" asked Kayto, playing right into her history lesson.

"The independence movement went horribly wrong shortly after the PACT revolution took New Eden and toppled the New Empire for good. During the revolution, the masses were led by a visionary who they called 'Veniczar Arcadius.' Nobody knows who Veniczar Arcadius was before the PACT revolution, but he quickly became a symbol for the people to rally behind. He always wore a mask and spoke through a computer, giving up his identity to represent an idea. The people grew to love him and elevated him to the level of a messiah figure during the revolution. After overthrowing the New Empire, they clamored for Veniczar Arcadius to lead them to a new way of life; creating a government where his word is as much law as that of the emperors they used to serve."

Ava shook her head, continuing, "The power must have changed him, because the Veniczar became a different man from the one who had inspired his people to break their chains and live their own lives. He cultivated a sense of paranoia and extreme nationalism, urging the PACT worlds to annex their neighbors to secure the 'everlasting endurance of the Revolution.' Today, the PACT's entire economy is devoted towards the pursuit of 'the Enduring Revolution,' and the 'liberation' of worlds that border their space. That's exactly what you see going on right now in the Neutral Rim; they're annexing us one planet at a time to bring us under the PACT banner, fueling their revolution farther and farther. The men and women who crew the invasion fleets are true believers, borderline fanatics who won't hesitate to sacrifice resources, ships, or even their own lives to carry on the revolution. Where, when, and how the revolution stops is anyone's guess at this point."

"Hard to imagine there's any way around another galactic conflict," observed Kayto, absorbing the facts Ava had laid out.

"Exactly; most people think it's only a matter of time before the Solar Alliance and the PACT square off against each other. Personally, I think it'll happen as soon as the Neutral Rim's completely conquered." Ava's tone was bleak, "You can't just end decades of expansion suddenly, and once the PACT's done with the Neutral Rim, there will be nowhere to turn but Alliance space."

"That would explain the Admiral's opinions about the Alliance and PACT," said Kayto, connecting the dots in his mind.

"He probably thinks it's inevitable as well. So far, President Alythe has been bending over backwards to avoid open conflict with the PACT, but my sense is that the Alliance Navy is gearing up for the day he falls over," confirmed Ava grimly.

"Well," said Kayto, rising and stretching, "It won't be tomorrow if we have anything to say about it. Thanks for the history lesson, Ava; let's chart a course for Versta and get underway before Alythe falls on his butt in this ridiculous game of limbo."

"What's limbo?" asked Ava, confused by his metaphor.

"How could you be so smart and not know what limbo is?"

* * *

"Arriving at planet Versta," declared Ava as _Sunrider_ dropped out of warp over the blue-green planet.

Rich with breathable atmosphere, ocean, and land, Versta was a prototypical Terran planet. Likely settled during the ancient expansion and colonization efforts of early humanity, Versta had originally owed allegiance to the Holy Ryuvian Empire, like so many other worlds at the time. Following the decline and eventual defeat of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, Versta's return to independence had been marred by a series of long, bloody civil conflicts which had embroiled the planet, leaving blood stains splashed across their modern history. The people of Versta were fiercely independent, having fended for themselves for generations, too involved with their own civil conflict to play a greater role in galactic politics and too far removed to be of interest to any other powers. In the last two decades, however, Versta had known a relative peace under the leadership of President Zefiris, the world's first global leader since the days of the Ryuvians. Through sweeping economic and political reform, Versta was in the midst of an industrial and population boom, seemingly destined to become a prosperous, productive world in the near future. Such success, however, had resulted in unwanted attention from both the Solar Alliance and the PACT, both of whom had proven to be a tremendous headache for the struggling world. Now, however, with a full PACT occupation fleet bearing down upon them and little orbital military presence save for rudimentary orbiting observation habitats, Versta's fate to join the PACT seemed virtually sealed.

Proximity alerts blared through the CIC almost immediately, startling the crew.

"Alert! Drop point is hot!" yelled Ava in shock, "Multiple PACT signatures detected in orbit over Versta; moving to intercept!"

"Red Alert, all hands to battle stations! Scramble our Ryders this instant!" barked Kayto as the CIC dropped into red. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Kayto suddenly realized the job offered to _Sunrider_ came with some pretty significant fine print. What had initially promised to be a simple retrieval and delivery mission was quickly spiraling into something far more dangerous.

"Black Jack and Liberty launching," panted Asaga through the comms, clearly sprinting for her Ryder lift.

"One hell of an entrance," muttered Kayto. "Charge all weapons, prepare to fire on PACT forces!"

* * *

Asaga and Chigara raced towards the hanger deck, breath ragged as they struggled against the weight of the Ryder suits they wore.

"Next time, we should quit _before_ we drop out of warp!" admonished Chigara as the two of them threw themselves onto the main lift.

"All right, all right," grumbled Asaga, humbled.

Together, the two Ryder pilots piled out of the lift, running all out to their respective bays.

"Launching now!" reported Asaga over the comms as she overrode all the pre-flight checks and activated Black Jack's thrusters.

On the other side of _Sunrider,_ Chigara opted to take the thirty seconds she needed to be sure Liberty wouldn't blow up the moment it was turned on prior to igniting her thrusters and pushing out of the docking tube, hard on Asaga's trail.

The two Ryders popped out of _Sunrider's_ launch tubes, Black Jack on her port side and Liberty on her starboard side.

"Ryders in position," confirmed Chigara, activating Liberty's long range scanners and uplinking to the _Sunrider_. "Looks like we've got a small detachment moving to intercept; four PACT infantry class Ryders and two cruisers. _Sunrider_ , I'm feeding additional information to your targeting computers now."

Inheriting the factories and technology of their defeated masters, PACT Ryders continued to betray traces of their origin. Though an order of magnitude more advanced than the old surplus Imperial Ryders the pirates operated, PACT Ryders were ever bit as standardized and mass produced, even retaining the rough original shapes of their predecessor Ryders. Originally conceived as a scouting unit, the PACT infantry Ryder quickly became the staple of their Ryder forces due to their versatility and low cost. The PACT infantry Ryder carried heavier weapons, a fusion reactor with increased operational capacity, and improved thrusters in comparison to the Imperial Ryders they were based off of; a step up in terms of firepower and maneuverability, although they continued to sacrifice the protection of armor or shields in exchange. Instead, PACT infantry Ryder pilots were trained to engage in squad tactics, taking down larger targets with coordinated attack patterns, and to depend on their support and capital ships for protection in the form of flak and shields. Their swarm tactics and general disregard for self-preservation had resulted in the crew taking to nicknaming the PACT infantry Ryders as "Mooks." Given the extremely limited maintenance needs of the Ryder, almost all PACT ships larger than a frigate carried at least one or two of the Ryders for reconnaissance and fire-support.

Behind the Ryders, two PACT cruisers provided escort for their lighter forces. PACT ship design differed tremendously from the ship architecture employed by the Solar Alliance or Cera, opting for a uniquely home-grown design that had since become iconic for the PACT navy. With a knife-shaped, asymmetric prow, the PACT cruisers were a collection of odd angles and flaring modules, giving the entire ship the geometry of a particularly unusual crystal shard. At the ship's aft section, the massive spools of their warp drives ringed their main engines, adding to the PACT cruiser's distinctive profile. As its primary armaments, the PACT cruiser sported a respectably dangerous series of laser embankments along its lateral sides and numerous assault auto and flak cannons. At the "top" of the ship, spinally mounted kinetic cannons topped off the cruiser's offensive capabilities, making them dangerous opponents if they were allowed to close distance with their enemies.

Like the other parts of the PACT navy, the PACT cruiser had been designed for maximum production value, suffering in terms of individual specifications, but overcoming any inherent weaknesses through coordination and superior numbers. Employing the very latest in shield technology and mounting heavier than normal armor for the ship class, PACT cruisers made for extremely durable targets when encountered in number. Operating under the PACT doctrines of group tactics, each ship supported its neighbor with a series of overlapping shields and flak like an ancient infantry phalanx. Together, PACT cruisers could advance under the cover of missile frigate and Ryders, impervious to long range assault until they had closed enough distance to engage in ship-to-ship combat at knife range. The one underlying weakness of the PACT cruiser design was its general sluggishness; the shield systems and heavy armor putting a heavy strain on their reactors and engines and making it difficult for the PACT cruisers to close large distance gaps quickly or engage in any rapid evasive maneuvers. Like everything the PACT navy operated, the cruisers and the Ryders were all painted the same shade of sanguine to represent the sacrifice borne by their people.

At the present distance, the PACT Ryders made for difficult, if not impossible targets, even with the Liberty's targeting assist. The PACT cruisers, however, were an entirely different story as they lumbered towards the _Sunrider_ ponderously.

"Engines ahead at full, fire Saviors!" ordered Kayto, bringing the _Sunrider_ just close enough launch a long-range salvo against the PACT ships. With the funds from their previous job against the slavers, Kayto had instructed Chigara to make improvements to the _Sunrider's_ reactor and Saviors, boosting their accuracy and lowering their power consumption. Thanks to the recent upgrades, _Sunrider_ now had the option of moving ahead at full power and firing simultaneously or firing two salvos in rapid succession, diverting all power from engines to speed the cooling and reloading of the main deck guns.

Luck appeared to be with the _Sunrider's_ crew as the long range shots landed on target despite roughly equal chances of missing at that range. Undaunted, however, the PACT cruiser shrugged off the impact, heedless of the new gaping holes in its thick armor and continuing its steady advance forward. Kayto made a mental note for caution; although sub-par to _Sunrider's_ specifications, the PACT cruisers were a far cry from the fragile pirate destroyers they had faced earlier. With their substantial armor and heavily redundant systems, the PACT cruisers would take more than a single salvo to bring down.

Pushing their engines to the maximum, the two PACT cruisers met, bearing down on the _Sunrider_ side by side, sending their four Ryders forward in a tightly knit squad in front. Giving up the chance to launch long-range laser strikes, the PACT Ryders came alarmingly close to _Sunrider_ and her two escorts, apparently intent on settling things up close.

"Overconfident bastards," muttered Kayto grimly, "Let's give them-"

"Captain! New warp signature detected!" interrupted Ava. "Unidentified Ryder has just entered our AO!"

"A... Ryder?" asked Kayto, thrown and unsure if he had heard correctly.

A shockingly yellow Ryder dropped out of warp, space-time twisting and flashing around it as it disengaged its warp drive. Attached to its back, the Ryder seemed to be carrying a ring shaped weapons platform, answering the question of its warp capabilities.

"It appears to be some kind of booster pack..." observed Ava, interested in the unusual Ryder.

"Flag?"

"No matches in our database, Captain," said Ava, shaking her head.

"W-whoa!" shouted Asaga over the comms as the booster module on the back of the yellow Ryder suddenly let loose with a barrage of laser fire in her direction. Putting Black Jack into a wild spin and diving suddenly, she managed to dodge the unexpected fire. "Whatever it its, I don't think it's friendly!"

"Damn it," Kayto muttered. If the PACT was bringing in special forces, things at Versta were about to get significantly more complicated. "Take it down with the rest of them," he ordered grimly, "Weapons free, you have permission to engage if it gets any closer." Special Ryder aside, something still needed to be done about the immediate threat the regular PACT forces represented as they stared down the _Sunrider_ , practically nose-to-nose with them. "Asaga, get these mooks off us; we're going to try to take one of those cruisers down!"

"Roger that, Capt'n!" shouted Asaga, throwing the Black Jack towards the four oncoming Ryders. Guns blazing, Black Jack took down one of the mooks, shredding its unarmored hull apart and damaging its neighbor before blasting past their formation and leading the remaining Ryders on a chase.

"Fire Saviors!" ordered Kayto, indicating the wounded cruiser on his tactical screen. At that range, _Sunrider's_ gunners couldn't miss if they tried, emptying the deck guns straight into the PACT cruiser's already strained hull. It was testament to the PACT's engineering prowess that the ship remained intact, lights flickering, but still determined to come at them. "Fire autocannons, aim for the holes in their hull! Use any remaining rounds to provide cover for Black Jack."

 _Sunrider's_ autocannons roared to life, tearing apart the exposed decks of the PACT cruiser, finally managing to inflict enough damage to dispatch it from the battle for good. Turning their guns from the gutted hull of the dead cruiser, _Sunrider's_ gunners managed to nail the damaged PACT Ryder trailing behind its comrades, struggling to compensate for its damaged systems. Unable to dodge, it rammed into the wall of bullets from the _Sunrider_ , spinning uncontrollably until it blew up spectacularly.

Unfortunately, the remaining PACT cruiser and Ryders had _Sunrider_ and her two Ryders right where they wanted them; at close range and dead in their crosshairs.

"Liberty, see what you can do about the cruiser," ordered Kayto, resigned to the fact that the PACT was about to exact payback for the damage he had dealt to their comrades. At this point, the best he could hope for was to minimize the damage they could inflict, and the PACT cruiser's deck guns represented the single greatest threat in their present situation.

"I'm trying, Captain!" Chigara's nervous voice chirped over the comms. "Breaking firewalls... overriding safeties..."

As the PACT cruiser's deck guns swiveled and locked onto the _Sunrider's_ open profile, Kayto gritted his teeth. "All hands, brace for impact!"

A second passed, then another. Although the cruiser's guns remained pointed at _Sunrider_ , no muzzle flash ever came to herald the kinetic impacts Kayto had expected. Slowly, the running lights on the outside of the cruiser flickered and turned off and her engines cut out, leaving the ship dead in space.

"Captain, I'm detecting no shields from the remaining PACT cruiser, looks like Chigara managed to take their entire electrical system down," reported Ava, impressed. "Incoming fire from PACT Ryders!"

Both PACT infantry Ryders opened fire with their laser rifles, having given up on Black Jack and closing in to target the _Sunrider_. Laser fire splashed over her hull, diminished by the Liberty's shielding, but still powerful enough to carve deep lines through _Sunrider's_ armor.

"No hull breaches detected, Captain. Watch that other Ryder," cautioned Ava as the mysterious yellow Ryder roared past the PACT cruiser straight towards _Sunrider_ with impressive speed, even by Ryder standards. Whoever was piloting the Ryder, they were undoubtedly an expert; flying at those speeds would be suicidal for anyone less qualified.

"Don't waste the chance Chigara gave us; fire the Saviors, maximum cycling rate, get them while they're down!" ordered Kayto. Unlike a fistfight or brawl, there was no such etiquette about kicking a man while down in space naval warfare where a single misstep could result in your crew's not-instant-enough and grisly death in vacuum.

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors fired twice in rapid succession, their barrels glowing red with the heat of the discharges as the new cooling systems strained to keep them in operational parameters. Satisfied with the havoc she had inflicted on the PACT cruiser's electronic systems, Chigara fired with her laser rifle as well, adding to the grievous injuries inflicted on the cruiser by _Sunrider's_ Saviors. Unable to cope from the onslaught, the cruiser broke apart, shattering from the impacts.

Throwing the Black Jack into a tight 180 degree turn, Asaga tailed the two PACT Ryders, hard on their thrust trails as she cut loose with all of Black Jack's weaponry, missiles included. The two PACT Ryders were helpless as bullets, laser pulses, and guided missiles rained down around them, one detonating immediately while the other barely pulled through, trailing smoke and fire as it came around for what the pilot likely knew would be the final pass of his or her life. Opening fire, the PACT Ryder scored a direct hit on _Sunrider's_ weakened armor, cutting through her hull and setting off alarms in the CIC. To make matters worse, the yellow Ryder arrived as well, bringing its weapons to bear and adding fuel to the fire. Blue lasers discharged from the ringed module on its back, inflicting damage to _Sunrider's_ hull equivalent to something a destroyer class ship might have mounted.

"Alert! Multiple hull breaches on decks zero and two! Initiating damage control measures now!" said Ava frantically, her fingers a flurry over her command station's controls.

Outside, the PACT Ryder vectored towards the _Sunrider_ , pushing its crippled engines as hard as it could, clearly intent on impacting the ship. "I don't think so," roared Asaga, taking aim with the Black Jack's machine guns before firing a burst at the Ryder's left engine. The engine exploded, blasting the Ryder off its trajectory. Unable to balance thrust, the Ryder spiraled off into space before detonating. "That's the last mook, Capt'n! Targeting Yellow!" she reported, letting loose at the unknown custom Ryder with her shoulder laser cannons.

"Fire assault cannons!" ordered Kayto, using the _Sunrider's_ smaller guns blast away at the nimble, but lightly armored yellow Ryder's position.

Swerving wildly, the yellow Ryder dodged and weaved, shaking an impressive amount of laser and autocannon fire before sustaining damage. Unable to withstand the barrage, the yellow Ryder was engulfed in an explosion.

"Did we get 'em?" demanded Asaga.

"Negative!" reported Ava, "Detonation was from the Ryder's booster pack, Captain. It appears the Ryder was damaged, but survived the blast; it's dead in the water, Sir."

Kayto tapped his lips thoughtfully. Judging from the state of the Ryder, it was very likely the pilot had survived, even though the Ryder itself no longer presented a threat, stunned by the explosion. With any luck, the pilot aboard the Ryder would know a thing or two of interest with regards to the _Sunrider's_ mission, at Versta or otherwise. "Black Jack, hold fire and provide cover for Liberty. Liberty, tow the PACT special Ryder to _Sunrider_ and prepare to dock. If either of you detect anything suggesting reactivation, use your discretion."

"Copy that," Asaga and Chigara said together as their Ryders burned cautiously towards the yellow one.

"Ava, alert the marines and get a full security detail down to the hanger. Let them know we're taking a prisoner."

"Roger that. Captain..." Ava's tone was cautionary. "That PACT fleet was too small to be their invasion fleet."

"I know," sighed Kayto, "You're right, they're probably just a recon flotilla."

"And now they know we're here," Ava said, crossing her arms unhappily.

"One thing at a time, Ava," he said with resignation. "Let's see what our prisoner has to say first."

* * *

"Looks like we got ourselves a prisoner, huh, Capt'n?" asked Asaga smugly as Kayto and Ava exited the lift to _Sunrider's_ hanger deck.

In docking bay 03, Liberty had just finished maneuvering the captured Ryder into the docking apparatus, which configured itself quickly before locking onto the Ryder. The security team Kayto requested had already arrived, fully equipped with armored suits and pointing all the manner of machine guns and laser rifles at bay 03's lift, from which the Ryder pilot would have no choice but to exit. Although it was extremely doubtful that a single Ryder pilot would require six marines with enough weapons to subdue the entire crew, Kayto appreciated their initiative and enthusiasm in dealing with this unknown variable. At any rate, as the marines had little to do since the extradition of the slavers; it was probably just their way of blowing off a bit of stir-crazy.

"Looks that way," answered Kayto, amused that Asaga found the whole situation so exciting.

"So..." Asaga grinned eagerly. "You gonna interrogate the pilot? Toss 'em into the airlock until they spill their guts?"

"Uhh... not exactly," said Kayto, somewhat put off by Asaga's idea of appropriate POW treatment. "We'll probably ask some questions ourselves and turn them over to the Alliance once we finish the mission."

"Aww..." Asaga's face was crestfallen. "So much for how they do it on holovision... Can't we scare 'em just a little? There was this great scene in Solar Surfer Academy where..."

"Isn't that an eroge game?" asked Kayto, interrupting before he could stop himself.

"Capt'n!" Asaga practically squealed as Ava's teeth ground loudly, pretending not to hear them. "I could tell you were a gamer, but I didn't know you were into that pervy stuff."

Kayto coughed loudly, cringing inwardly at the reminder of his sad, squandered youth. "I uhh... it was for a friend."

"We're secure here, Sir," reported the squad leader, her voice coming from somewhere just below her chin from a speaker on the outside of the helmet as Kayto walked to bay 03's lift without encouraging Asaga any further.

Keying the intercom, Kayto addressed the Ryder pilot, his voice on the hanger loudspeakers overhead and being transmitted directly into the Ryder through its hull. Even if the Ryder's external sensors were completely down, his voice would still sound like he was standing next to them. "Unidentified Ryder pilot, we are docked to your external hatch. Exit your Ryder and enter the lift with your hands in the air. We will not shoot if you comply with our instructions."

Everyone shifted nervously as the lift hummed to life after several seconds of silence and hissed open, revealing the unidentified Ryder's pilot. Wearing a yellow set of Ryder armor that matched the color of her Ryder, the pilot stepped from the lift with an air of reticence, her head held high and her arms only halfheartedly raised. Her long black hair was held back in a ponytail which reached down to the small of her back, the Ryder pilot's emerald eyes raked over the welcoming party from underneath her bangs, unimpressed. "Kind of an unusual look for a PACT vessel," she sniffed, eyeing her surroundings with suspicion. Her face was young, but the hard look behind her eyes immediately betrayed a life not unaccustomed to hardship.

"This is _Sunrider_ ; she's a vessel of the Cera Space Force. I'm Captain Kayto Shields, welcome aboard," replied Kayto, figuring common courtesy wouldn't go amiss. The pilot's question appeared to be genuine, suddenly making the likelihood that she was PACT special forces a good deal less likely.

"Cera?" the pilot's tone was surprised although she relaxed almost imperceptibly. "I thought you guys got conquered by the PACT."

"Not all of us; clearly," said Kayto coolly. "Who are you?"

"Icari Isidolde, private mercenary."

"Hired by the PACT?" probed Kayto.

"Nothing of the sort," shot back the pilot, crossing her arms. "I was on a job, can't tell you any more than that," she said, giving a wry smile.

"See, that kind of attitude isn't going to work here. Security; relieve our guest of any weapons and take her to the brig. We'll continue our conversation there," said Kayto sternly, snapping his fingers at the marine team. As four of them kept the pilot dead in their crosshairs, the other two began to pat her down, pulling an impressive array of weaponry off the woman's armor, hidden in just about every imaginable nook of her Ryder suit. Having removed the most obvious threats, the marines gestured her forward with the barrels of their guns, escorting her to the waiting lift. As they departed, Kayto frowned. The mercenary's presence complicated the situation, implying some other faction interested in the outcome of the Versta situation, if her word could be trusted. The truth was that the pilot could very well make up any story she wanted to and they would have a difficult time validating it without any collateral information.

"Let her stew for an hour or ten," advised Ava. "Once she's had a chance to think things over, we'll try to get down to the bottom of things with her."

Kayto nodded, it was a solid plan. The only way they'd be able to test the authenticity of her word was by talking at length, trying to catch her out and doing their best to gauge her body language and cues. Far from a science, but if there was something else at play at Versta, the mercenary was their quickest way of finding out.


	7. Icari

**Memorial Day Update. Thanks to the two people who wrote a review. All you other readers are welcome to leave your thoughts as well, good or bad.**

 **Chapter 6- Icari**

* * *

 _Sunrider's_ brig was located on deck 1 with the ship's security command station and armory, guarded by the ship's marines on the few occasions when it was occupied. Although it was a part of the ship Kayto would have rather not existed, the brig was undeniably a necessity for incidents like this one. The brig was divided up into four sparsely furnished cylindrical cells, completely unused since the slavers had been packed into them for the short ride back to Tydaria. Brightly lit with a large transparent one-way view secure door and wall, the cell offered zero privacy or modesty for its occupants.

Kayto met with Ava at the brig twelve hours after pulling the pilot out of her Ryder, deciding the interrogation could wait no longer as the rendezvous deadline with the diplomats on Versta fast approached. "How's our guest holding up?" he asked Ava as the two of them eyed the cell's languishing occupant.

"Hasn't said a word since she arrived according to the guards," said Ava. "Per protocol, we've performed a thorough search for weapons and contraband." Gesturing at a table set to the corner of the brig, she indicated an impressive collection of weapons and devices the marines had missed on their first pass. "There's enough there to topple a small government. I'd say we caught ourselves a professional assassin, judging from her toolkit."

"Looks nasty," observed Kayto, looking over the evidence with interest. Hacking modules, explosives, two concealed firearms, at least a dozen knives of various shapes and sizes, and... "A keychain?" inquired Kayto, examining a little whale-shaped trinket.

"Sonic grenade according to our scans," cautioned Ava as Kayto quickly put the innocuous appearing device down.

"But nothing to identify her employer, I'm guessing."

"We've scanned her profile, Ryder, even her equipment through the major databases; nothing. They're all custom built without any evidence trail," Ava glared at Icari through the glass. "Whoever she is, she's no amateur."

"Looks like we're not going to learn anything else from just watching her," remarked Kayto as the mercenary gave a large yawn and stretched out on the bed like a cat. "Let's go talk to her."

Kayto punched in the door's security code, entering with Ava once the door slid open silently. As soon as they had entered, the door whisked close behind them quickly, immediately shutting off the outside world. The room seemed deaden all sound, cutting off almost everything except the sound of their own breathing; furthermore, bright lighting and tight confines gave the room a nerve wracking and claustrophobic feel; undoubtedly intentional on the part of the designers. Sniffing, Kayto fancied that the stench of the slavers lingered on just at the edge of conscious perception.

Hearing their entrance, Icari turned to eye them, remaining supine on the cell's cot and regarding them with a studied, bored expression on her face. "Let me guess... good cop, bitchy cop," she said, pointing to each of them in turn.

Ava crossed her arms angrily and stalked over to the far corner of the prison cell, flanking Icari with Kayto.

"At the risk of sounding cliché, you're in a heap of trouble," he said sternly. "Why don't you save us all a lot of pain and start talking to us?"

The assassin rolled her eyes, all the answer he needed; clearly, the half a day she had spent locked up had done nothing to loosen her tongue. "First Officer Crescentia, what are Cera Space Force protocols regarding the search and seizure of contraband?" asked Kayto, deciding to play dirty.

"Page fifty-eight paragraph four clearly states that Cera Space Force vessels have the authority to perform search and seizure operations on any vessel deemed reasonably suspicious at the discretion of the commanding officer," answered Ava, pinning the mercenary with her glare.

"Well... since our guest here isn't giving us anything to work with, have our crew power up the cutting torches. You never know what's hidden behind all those panels on a custom Ryder like that," shrugged Kayto, turning to leave.

Icari turned pale, sitting up finally and giving Kayto her full attention. "Keep your paws off my Ryder!" she growled dangerously at his back.

"Give me a reason not to chop it to pieces then," offered Kayto, pausing and turning his head around.

"Heh," Icari chuckled softly, fixing him with her piercing gaze, amused at the game of hardball. Sizing him up, she decided to play the game. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you attack us and are you working for the PACT?" asked Kayto, starting at the top, turning around to face her properly.

"I already told you, I don't work for those fanatics," said Icari with a grimace. "Weren't you even listening?" Brushing something off her knee, she continued. "I attacked your ship because I thought you were PACT freelancers. Can't really blame me, can you? Last anyone heard, the entire Cera Space Force had either been sunk, gone pirate, or gotten themselves pressed into service for the PACT."

"Yeah, the PACT's subtle paint jobs can be hard to miss," shrugged Kayto sarcastically.

"Look," Icari snapped. "The entire Neutral Rim's practically in anarchy now. Plenty of guns for hire running around, selling their services and throwing their lot in with the PACT thinking that's the way the galaxy's going to spin. You don't need to fly their flag or colors to be working for them anymore. Not that it stops me from shooting anyways."

"Seems like you're no friend of the PACT," said Kayto.

"Well spotted, Captain," Icari bit back acidly. "I hate 'em. Would've burned down their whole fleet if your crew hadn't gotten in the way and smashed up my booster."

As she clenched her fists bitterly, Kayto decided that she was telling the truth about the PACT, if nothing else. The look of hatred in her eyes was the genuine article; not too different from the flicker behind the eyes he saw in the mirror each morning. "I guess we're on the same side as far as that goes then," he said.

"What about you guys?" asked Icari. "What's a renegade starship from the Cera Space Force doing all the way out here?"

"We're asking the questions here, not you," pushed back Ava with one of the most classic law enforcement lines in history, glaring at Icari and playing the bad cop role admirably.

"Relax," said Icari, giving Ava a cold smile. "We were just getting friendly. Listen, Captain," she said, turning back to Kayto, "Give me something to go on here. Weren't we going to figure a way to work this out? I answered your questions, don't you think you could answer one or two of mine?"

Kayto paused deliberately, drawing the moment out as long as possible. "Fine, maybe we can talk this out. We're here doing a bit of freelancing ourselves; Alliance business."

"Interesting," said Icari, a twinkle in her eye that hadn't been there a second ago.

"You're going to have to explain to me why."

Icari looked at him sideways, clearly thinking hard. "Look... I'm a professional. I'm not in the habit of ratting out my employers; bad for business and retirement planning. But I could make an exception in this case for you, Captain. You don't seem like a half-bad guy. Give me your word that no one lays a finger on my Phoenix." Icari's face split into a mischievous grin as she cocked her thumb towards Ava. "And tell your damned housewife to get her scowl out of my face."

"You-!" started Ava, her temper flaring up around the cracks in her composure.

"That's fine, Commander," restrained Kayto, although he worked hard to keep his face straight. Icari's brashness had a certain charm he found likable. "You've got my word, Icari."

"Don't make me regret it, Captain," she warned. "Now... you guys wouldn't happen to have been hired by some Admiral, would you? Tall, dry, kind of looks like a gray statue?"

"Well he certainly was gray." answered Kayto, deciding to test the waters with a little play on words. "In more ways than one."

Ava groaned, burying her face into her hands, but Icari gave a predatory smile.

"That bastard," she said almost as a compliment. "He hasn't changed a bit. I should know; worked for him for ages," laughed Icari humorlessly.

"Public relations?"

"You could call it that," smirked Icari. "Oh it's nothing too terrible; Admiral Grey is a pretty principled guy, all things considered. Escaped criminal outside of Alliance jurisdiction? Still within mine. Sleazy dictator getting out of hand? I can fix that too. Ongessite prices too high? I carry the stick while the Admiral holds out a carrot. You catch my drift."

"Right... a principled man who hires the services of a contract assassin," commented Kayto, although he wasn't entirely surprised. People in power like the Admiral had always required the more unsavory services provided by Icari's type.

"You guys are here about the Alliance diplomats on Versta, right?" Icari went out on a limb and took an educated guess. "It's not like there's any other reason to be sailing to this backwater planet."

"That's why _we're_ here," answered Kayto, figuring the cat was out of the bag already and emphasizing the pronoun. "But that doesn't tell us why _you're_ here. Versta's a rescue mission; nobody needs to get shot by a contract assassin here."

"Is that what the Admiral told you..." Icari's smirk deepened. "Rescue mission, I like that old son-of-a-bitch."

"If you know something, you'd better spill it," snapped Ava, growing tired of the assassin's roundabout game and smugness.

"Not so fast," Icari waggled an armored finger at them. "That information's going to cost you more than just a promise. Nothing big, mind you."

"This is a jail cell, not a spa," growled Ava. "You can't just pick and choose options you want."

"Hey, all I'm asking for is a little security in exchange for client information. _Confidential_ client information. And trust me, Captain, that I think you'll need my help if you poor sods still think this is a rescue mission." Icari's arms crossed as she dug in her heels. "I'll clue you guys in and level with you if you let me out of here and give me my Ryder back."

"How do we know you'll deliver?" asked Kayto. "You're already going back on your previous word; not the best way to earn trust around here, Icari."

"I'm simply renegotiating our terms," sniffed Icari. "I might be an assassin, but I'm no scoundrel. You can count on my word, Captain."

"Level with us and I'll do the best I can; you have my word on that," proposed Kayto. "Final offer."

"Ugh," grumbled Icari. "I guess that's as good as it gets. Fine. Listen, war between the Alliance and the PACT is pretty much inevitable. Everyone with half a brain knows it, but nobody wants to say it out loud. This galaxy's just waiting to break out into all out galactic war, the kind and scale we haven't seen in a hundred years. The politicians in the Solar Alliance are too comfortable on their fat asses to admit reality, but not everyone has their heads stuck in the sand like they do. There's a faction that understands that war will break out sooner or later between the PACT and the Alliance and they want to intervene before the entire Neutral Rim becomes PACT's back yard."

"Frankly," Icari continued, her verdant eyes flashing, daring either of them to contradict her. "I'd rather not bow to some Veniczar, so I think they've got it right. The only problem is that President Alythe is too big of a pussy to have a spine; that man would have a hard time fighting an angry duck if his life depended on it, never mind rally the Alliance to take on the PACT. The Alliance needs a push in the right direction and this crisis is the opportunity everyone's been waiting for to get the Alliance serious about the PACT."

Kayto and Ava listened to Icari, disbelief and surprise etched on their faces. "So... you're telling us that someone in the Alliance hired you to hover over Versta and make sure the PACT captures those diplomats. All in the name of sparking the biggest galactic war in over a century," summarized Ava, her interest in Icari's story thawing her demeanor slightly.

"Now you're catching on," nodded the assassin gravely. "You let me out of this cell and back to my Ryder, and I can promise you those diplomats will never make it out of Versta's gravity well before the PACT gets their hands on them. After that, well, it shouldn't be long before you have the Alliance's full backing in your fight against the PACT. Think what that means for worlds like Cera."

"It's really not that simple," frowned Kayto with crossed arms.

"Sure it is," rebutted Icari. "I take off, you hang around until you're satisfied, this diplomats get captured, and you go running back to Admiral Grey to tell him the news. Once it's all over, they'll probably pin some damn, shiny medal to your chest for saving the whole Neutral Rim too.

As disturbing as the mercenary's allegations were, her agenda against the PACT appeared genuine; in all likelihood, the woman was telling the truth. Kayto's thoughts churned unhappily; the Versta situation had suddenly become much more complicated than the _Sunrider's_ crew had bargained for. "Alright, you've held up your end of the bargain, but we'll have to perform our own investigation of the situation once we reach orbit over Versta. You'll get your Ryder back, that's a promise, but for now, you're going to have to stay on the ship." Looking around at the cell's unpleasant interior, Kayto made an executive decision. "You'll be confined to one of our Ryder pilot quarters for now. Don't complain," he warned, seeing Icari's expression sour. "It's one hell of an upgrade from your current rooming situation. Besides, you're not going anywhere without your Ryder's booster pack unless you were planning on setting up shop on, what did you call it? That 'backwater planet?' Just enjoy the warm bed."

"Tch, fine," agreed Icari reluctantly. "Just get me outta here. And bring me something to eat; I'm starving!" she snapped at Ava, whose temple started throbbing again.

* * *

Back in the CIC, Kayto roused himself from thought as Ava returned from escorting Icari to her improved accommodations. "Everything go alright with Icari?" he asked.

"Other than the fact she grabbed all the pudding she could carry from the mess hall? I imagine she's making herself comfortable as we speak," Ava grumbled, clearly having taken a disliking to their involuntary guest. "Captain, about what she said..."

Kayto shook his head, "Even if we trusted her completely, which we don't, I don't think we can just twiddle our thumbs and wait here to see how it plays out. We're going to finish our mission and save those diplomats."

"Captain; I agree we should be careful with her, but, given the situation, we should consider what she said seriously," advised Ava. "Something's been off with this mission since we got here; the Alliance Navy sitting on its hands, the hot drop zone, a freelance assassin... I'm starting to think we were never meant to complete this mission. Besides, what she said was true, this really could be the Alliance's wake up call to intervene in the Neutral Rim before it's too late."

"I won't have the blood of civilians on my hands, Ava, no matter how convenient it is," said Kayto firmly. "We're not going to just sit back and watch those diplomats die for our own gain."

Ava ground her teeth, staring at him for a moment before dropping her gaze and shaking her head. "Noble of you, Captain; but war between the Alliance and PACT is inevitable. It's not that we're sparking a war between the two; we're just not going to put this particular flame out. Every day the PACT gets away with their aggression, another Neutral Rim planet falls and the death toll rises. The PACT grows stronger, which is only going to lead to a bigger war when it does break out. How many lives do you think we could save in the end by staying our hand today?"

Kayto closed his eyes, rubbing his temples firmly with the tips of his fingers. As cold as Ava's assessment was, she was, as usual, right. Even if the PACT and the Alliance didn't go to war today, the possibility of peace seemed more remote than ever. The Neutral Rim's chances of surviving the oncoming storm intact seemed like an even more distant possibility, particularly if the PACT managed to completely occupy it before open conflict against the Solar Alliance. "We'll keep our options open for now; keep the _Sunrider_ on course to make orbit over Versta as quickly as our engines can manage," ordered Kayto, unwilling to commit to a particular course of action just yet. "What's the situation on the ground?"

"We've made contact with the Alliance diplomats on the frequency the Admiral's staff gave us. They're getting ready to make a break for it as soon as they can. Estimated time of departure in 3 hours; they'll be departing on the civilian liner _Agamemnon._ She's a civilian liner affiliated with the Alliance." reported Ava. "We're going to have to provide escort in case things get hairy while they escape Versta's gravity well and prep for a jump back to Alliance space."

"A civilian liner?" asked Kayto, thrown by the sudden change in plans. "I thought the diplomats were going to take an HALO shuttle and dock with us for extraction."

Ava shook her head unhappily. "Apparently Alliance international law forbids their officials from coming aboard a foreign military vessel in any openly contested conflict zones. They've insisted that we provide escort for the liner instead."

Kayto's headache grew more pressing with the latest wrinkle to their plan for extraction. "And why didn't the Admiral's office mention this little thing?"

"Like I said, Captain; I don't think they ever intended for us to complete the mission."

Kayto sighed deeply, "This job just keeps on getting more interesting... Well, we'll just have to roll with the punches, I guess. Let me know right away if something else comes up," he requested as Ava saluted. "I'm going to go weigh our options. You have the CIC, Commander."

"Aye Sir, I have the CIC," confirmed Ava, settling into her command station without another glace at Kayto. "Don't take too long, Sir. The _Agamemnon_ will be lifting off as soon as she's ready."

* * *

Almost immediately after exiting the CIC, Kayto stood aimlessly in the ship's corridor, unsure where he had planned to go in the first place. Forcing himself to walk somewhere, anywhere, it wasn't long before his feet had taken him full circle on Deck 1 and then some. Coming to outside Engineering, as though he were in a fugue for the last ten minutes, he decided to walk in and pay Chigara a visit; clearly, walking around stewing with his own thoughts was not going to be the solution to their current predicament.

Ever since Chigara had taken charge of Engineering, the ship's functioning had never been better. Her reactor giving off an almost purring hum, it seemed that the ship itself wholeheartedly agreed. Buried deep behind armor and reinforced bulkheads, engineering was a sprawling jungle of conduits, pipes, and feedlines, all of which carried some aspect of the ship's most essential lifelines. Even Kayto, who had studied the ship's systems and designs over his four year training period, had difficulty keeping everything straight, but Chigara seemed to have dived head first into her position as Chief Engineer, showing an almost intuitive grasp of the ship's underlying architecture.

Picking his way towards the back, where Research and Development was located, he spied Chigara's distinctive hair and hairband through a tangle of pipes as she consulted a hand-held unit's screen, undoubtedly checking one of _Sunrider's_ hundreds of system maintenance points. As he walked up behind her and cleared his throat, Chigara gave a huge jump, wheeling around and inexplicably grabbing the hairband off her head again.

"E-eah! O-oh..." Chigara flushed crimson as she saw Kayto's amused expression. "I'm sorry Captain, I didn't see you coming..."

"Sorry I keep startling you like that," grinned Kayto, looking her up and down; the girl looked good in one of _Sunrider's_ uniforms.

"Ehh..." Chigara gave a small, good humored smile, still pink at the cheeks. "It's not your fault, I do that every time someone finds me when I'm in the middle of something. I-it's good to see you here; did you need something?"

"Actually... yes," said Kayto, launching into an explanation of what Icari had revealed to them. Chigara listened seriously and thoughtfully through his monologue, her aqua eyes fixed on his. "So... what's your take on the situation?" he finished.

Chigara played with her fingers nervously, clearly put on the spot by the question. "Oh, ummm... Well... I'm not very good with these kinds of decisions, Captain. I think you're much better suited to thinking about this sort of thing than I am," she said apologetically. "Whatever you decide, I know it'll be the right decision."

Kayto felt his spirits lift slightly at her confidence, even if it felt misplaced. "Don't sell yourself short, Chigara. You're the smartest person I've ever met."

"Oh!" Chigara turned pink again, looking extremely pleased by the compliment. "I don't know, Captain. I'm good with machines and technology, but when it comes to people... I feel like I don't really understand them like everyone else does."

"Well, we've all got strengths and weaknesses; but you do just fine," said Kayto reassuringly. "Thanks for lending me your ear; I feel a bit better now."

"It was my pleasure, Captain," smiled Chigara happily, "Feel free to come by anytime. Just... maybe call out my name next time."

Taking the lift up to deck 0, Kayto walked to his quarters for a moment of quiet reflection, Chigara's thoughtful listening having soothed one or two frayed nerves, but still leaving him no closer to a decision.

"What do you mean you ran out!?" demanded a loud, recognizable voice from the ship's mess hall as he passed by.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," apologized the robotic voice of the mess hall's dispensary. "All pudding supplies have been exhausted at the moment. It will be approximately eight hours and eleven minutes before I am ready to serve another batch."

Kayto walked over to Asaga as she continued to bicker and plead with dispensary interface, which was completely unmoved by her plight. "Uhh... Asaga? I don't think it's programmed to care if you throw a temper tantrum at it."

"Darn it!" Asaga stuck her tongue out at the fish eye lens of the dispensary. "Fine... I guess I'll just have to eat a slice of strawberry cake."

"Coming right up, ma'am," said the machine obligingly.

"This is your fault Captain!" said Asaga, rounding on him as machinery hummed behind the mess hall walls and her cake appeared from a slot beside the machine. "What kind of Captain would send his Ryder pilots out for a fight without proper food and nutrition?"

"I didn't realize vitamin D stood for desert," joked Kayto. "Besides, the person you're looking to blame isn't here right now. I think Icari might have taken the last of the pudding before we confined her to one of the open Ryder pilot quarters."

The two sat down at one of the tables, the mess hall almost entirely deserted during between-meals hours. As Asaga dug into her strawberry cake, she continued the conversation thickly around a mouth full of pastry. "So, what's the deal? Did she crack?"

Kayto nodded and told Icari's story for the second time while Asaga polished off the cake remorselessly. Wiping a stray smudge of icing off the side of her face and licking her fingers, Asaga didn't seem remotely bothered by the dilemma. "So we're going to rescue those diplomats anyways and beat up anyone stupid enough to try to stop us, right?"

"I don't think we're going to be able to beat an entire PACT invasion fleet by ourselves, Asaga," argued Kayto, smiling in spite of himself at the pilot's unsinkable attitude and clear-cut morals.

"Ah, pshhh," Asaga waved at him dismissively. "Leave it to me and mah Black Jack; We'll have that invasion fleet in full retreat before you know it."

"So you think we should go ahead and try to complete the mission anyways?" he clarified.

"Well... duh!" Asaga's tone was disbelieving. "Don't tell me you were even thinkin' about doing anything else!" Kayto's facial expression must have given him away as Asaga balled her fists on the table and stood up, towering over him. Almost nose to nose, she stared him down with her large eyes. "No, no, no, no! Captain! You can't just let those innocent people die! You gotta stand for what's right! We're going to win this fight no matter what, even if it's the hard way, we gotta do it the right way!"

Kayto smiled at the passionate, hard look etched on Asaga's face. Looking into her eyes, he could see the woman harbored zero doubt about what the right call for the situation was. "Don't worry, Asaga," he said, making up his mind. "You're right. We're going to win this war with our principles intact; otherwise we'd be no better than the PACT in the first place."

"Hell yeah, Capt'n!" Asaga pounded the table. "Now I'm pumped! I'm gonna tear those PACT ships a new exhaust port, if you know what I mean!"

"Uh yeah... thanks. I'll keep that in mind," said Kayto as Asaga abandoned her dishes in her excitement and charging out of the mess hall with a jaunty wave. Sighing and carrying her plate to the return slot, Kayto ordered himself a coffee before making his way back to his office like he originally intended.

Once inside, he had no sooner sat down to start a brief Captain's log than the power suddenly cut out, leaving the entire room in pitch darkness. "What the-?"

"Boo," came a voice next to his ear.

Kayto almost jumped out of his skin as a hand landed gently on his shoulder, firmly pushing him back into his seat. With a sinking feeling, he took note of the yellow gauntlet.

"Sorry, Captain," Icari's voice continued softly next to his ear. "Since your security systems were so lax, I couldn't help but to hack my way out of that room once I was done with all the pudding. Looks like you and your crew need to upgrade your systems, unfortunately for you."

"I don't suppose there's any use in calling security," remarked Kayto as he consulted his bracelet and the dead controls at his desk.

Slinking around the desk like a tiger, Icari plopped herself into a chair opposite to him, putting her armored boots up on the desk. "Give me a little credit, Captain, I'm a _professional_."

"Well I'm still alive," Kayto said, stating the obvious. "That means you came here for something. Looks like I can't do much except listen."

"Smart man," smiled Icari. "Most people I know... knew... would have pissed themselves about now. But you're right, I'm not here to slit your throat or anything gory like that, I just wanted to chat."

"I think a phone call might have sufficed."

"Last ship standing, huh?" said Icari, ignoring the jab. "I never imagined I'd find myself aboard a Cera naval vessel, one still flying its original flag anyways. Must be hard."

"We've got each other," shrugged Kayto. "It's not the end for us yet, so we get by, one day at a time."

"How many people do you supposed died at Cera on that day?" asked Icari, twirling a lock of hair idly.

"Too many." Kayto's tone was blunt. The assassin's play to appeal towards his emotions was obvious, but the truth was the truth.

"I couldn't help but notice while I was waiting for you here; who's the cutie in that portrait on your shelf?" she asked gesturing to a holo still of a young girl with long, platinum hair tied by two blue ribbons into pigtails, holding a raccoon from Cera's petting zoo.

"None of your business," Kayto said pointedly, warning in his voice.

"The family resemblance is obvious," continued Icari, apparently enjoying his reaction. "You don't seem like the fatherly type, so I'm guessing she's your sister."

"You're walking on thin ice, mercenary," snapped Kayto. "I suggest you drop the topic. Now."

"What's the matter, Captain?" demanded Icari, smiling viciously. Putting her feet down and leaning in towards him, she continued, tightening the vise. "Did I hit a soft spot? Are you scared for her? Scared for what the PACT did or is going to do to her?"

Kayto's fists clenched on the desk, but he refused to back down from Icari's intense stare.

"Listen," her tone and eyes softened. "I know what it's like to lose family... the PACT took mine from me, the same as they probably did to you. I swore, years ago, that I'd get back at them for what they did to me that day and now... I'm so close... Captain, you seem like good man, but that's why there are people like me in the galaxy to do the jobs you don't want to touch, but know that have to get done. We can work together, bring the Alliance into the war against the PACT, avenge the ones we've lost. I wasn't kidding when I said you seem like a decent guy. Once this job is done, I'll even sign up with your ship and fly the Phoenix as one of your pilots, now that my warp booster's busted. So long as you're still planning on getting even with the PACT."

"You're presuming a lot of trust for someone who's got me in the dark on the wrong end of a lot of weapons," pointed out Kayto, playing for time.

"How about I tell you a secret?" Icari leaned in even closer, her scent surprisingly warm and soft. "I'll tell you about who hired me in the first place."

"I thought that was bad for business and lifestyle."

"I'll make an exception... just for you." Icari's lips parted as she whispered into his ear, her long hair brushing his face gently. "The man who hired me to take out those diplomats? Harold Grey, Admiral, Solar Alliance Navy."

"That's funny, because he also sent us out here to extract those same diplomats," said Kayto as Icari drew back, smiling unkindly.

"The only thing funny about it is that you still think this is a rescue op." Icari's expression hardened. "Grey might have contracted your ship to extract the diplomats, but that's only because he still answers to President Alythe, who insisted that war be avoided at any cost. As soon as he was done contracting your services through the official channels, he also hired me through... less official channels.

"Sounds like he's halfway down the path for a coup d'etat."

"Maybe," Icari shrugged, uninterested. "It won't happen today or tomorrow, but if the Sollar Alliance's Senate continues to remain locked in inaction while the PACT swallows up the entire Neutral Rim, who can tell what lengths the military will go to to protect the common citizen, with or without the support of the civilian government."

"Doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence, does it?" asked Kayto with distaste. "The Alliance always plays the democracy and enlightenment card, but when push comes to shove, the sham falls apart and the people with the most guns end up deciding what happens."

"Get with the program, Captain." Icari laughed mirthlessly. "Everyone, especially the Alliance military, knows that war is inevitable. Sure, you can save those diplomats today, but the PACT's going to just keep on conquering world after world. Millions will die, millions like your sister. Keep on delaying, and the PACT is just going to get stronger when the war does break out. When that happens, they'll just use the resources and the people of the Neutral Rim as fuel for the fire. Or... you could let the Alliance intervene now, while the PACT is still mustering its strength. You could end up saving millions of lives, just by sacrificing a few low level diplomats." Checking a digital timer display on her wrist armor, she fixed Kayto with an intense stare. "Time's up, Captain, we're probably pulling into Versta orbit right now. What's it going to be? Are you going to bow down to the Veniczar? Or are you going to take a stand and draw a line in the sand today?"

Kayto sighed deeply. He understood all of Icari's motivations and felt the same pain she carried with her. Everything she said made sense, but he couldn't let the temptation of an easy way out compromise the principles which differentiated his crew from the PACT, pirates, and even the Alliance. If he doomed those men and women aboard the _Agamemnon_ to die, he would lose the only things that kept his humanity through the last month. Whatever the consequence, he knew _Sunrider_ could not idly stand by on the potential of lives saved, rather than act and save the lives immediately in front of them. Regardless how the assassin would take it, the orders to turn ship would never come from his lips.

"I hate the PACT," he told her, his gaze burning into hers. For a moment, triumph flashed behind her green eyes. "I hate the way they don't hesitate to pull the trigger, no matter how many innocent lives are lost, just to accomplish their goals that much faster. We have a duty to humanity aboard this ship, not just ourselves and I'll be damned before I give an order to slaughter civilians in cold blood. Now, get back to the brig, Icari, before you make a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Icari's expression was hard, although a flicker of sadness entered her eyes, if only for a moment. "You just don't get it, Captain. The PACT is evil. They'll never stop hurting innocents; we have to intervene before it's too late. I can't let you interfere with my mission any longer. I'm sorry, Captain. I think I would have liked to get to know you better."

Before he could even blink, Icari drew a lethal looking sidearm, cleverly folded up under one of her armor plates. The weapon charged with a soft whine as she pointed it between his eyes, hand steady.

"KAYTO!" Ava's voice startled both of them as she burst in through the door, the bright lights of the hallway blinding them momentarily. Eyes widening in surprise at Kayto's predicament, Ava sprang into action. Scrambling, Ava dropped her hand to her own pistol, snapping the weapon clear of its holster as Kayto took advantage of the distraction to dive out of his chair and behind his desk.

 _Bang_

The report of Icari's gun thundered in the room, ricocheting off the door frame an inch from Ava's head before shattering Kayto's mug of coffee on the desk. As Ava dove for cover, Icari cursed and sprinted out of his quarters, her black hair whipping around the corner after her as she disappeared.

"Kayto! Are you alright!?" Ava practically screamed as she threw her gun aside and scrambled under his desk, cupping his cheek with one hand and patting his torso down with the other.

"I'm fine" said Kayto, surprised by her break in composure, catching the hand that feeling his chest with one of his own and looking into her worried eyes. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," Ava pulled back quickly, wrenching herself free of his grasp and avoiding his eyes as she got up and brushed herself off, trying to calm down. "I ran up here as soon as I realized the mercenary escaped; looks like I was almost too late."

"Tell me about it," said Kayto, trying to hide his rattled nerves. "Get security; stop that mercenary before she causes more trouble!"

"She's done something to our systems, Captain." Ava said, shaking her head, "Security's down everywhere on the ship. We're trying to bypass it, but we'll have to go down to the CIC before we can do anything."

"Well, let's not waste time," said Kayto as Ava nodded, the two of them hurrying back to _Sunrider's_ CIC.


	8. Agamemnon's Flight

**Incidentally, this story is also hosted on the official forum for Sunrider at** **/forums/. Feel free to leave comments on the novelization thread if you want quick answers to any feedback you may have.**

 **Hope everyone enjoys this chapter; I think I had the most fun writing this one to date.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8- Agamemnon's Flight**

"Status report," demanded Kayto as he and Ava entered into the CIC. "What's going on with the Phoenix?"

"Hanger bay safeties are being overridden!" called out a crewman, tapping furiously at his console. "We've lost all controls over docking mechanisms and doors!"

On the main screen, the Phoenix blasted out of _Sunrider's_ disabled hanger, taking off into the night sky and dropping out of view.

"Damn it!" Kayto jumped into the Captain's station.

"Scramble all Ryders," ordered Ava. "Pursue and intercept the Phoenix!"

Moments later, Asaga's and Chigara's voices came up in the CIC as they patched into their communications.

"Chigara, did you save?" asked Asaga as they ran to the hanger deck.

"Is now really the time?"

"Great, just great. Now we'll have to start from the beginning!"

"What the hell's going on down there!?" yelled Ava.

"Yikes! We're on open comms, Chigara!" yelped Asaga.

"Sorry, Sorry!" Chigara apologized profusely.

"Uhh... I guess they were on break," said Kayto suppressing a laugh despite the situation.

"Unbelievable..." muttered Ava, rubbing her brow. "Just... get out there ASAP, pilots."

Alarms blared out suddenly throughout the CIC.

"Alert! Massive energy spike detected! Multiple PACT signatures dropping out of warp, Captain!" yelled Ava over the proximity klaxon. "Looks like the PACT invasion fleet got here early!"

"More good news," grumbled Kayto, having the sense that the mission had gone awry in just about every way possible. "Red Alert, all hands to battle stations! Asaga, come in,"

"Black Jack here, whatdaya' need Capt'n?" Asaga's hologram appeared in the CIC, slightly flattened as Black Jack's acceleration crushed her into the crash seat in her cockpit.

"Change of plans," announced Kayto. "Abandon pursuit of rogue Ryder for now and focus on protecting the _Agamemnon_. We've got multiple PACT signatures inbound. Keep your eyes peeled for her though, I have a feeling she might be back to interfere with the mission."

"Roger that, Capt'n!"

"Where the hell is the _Agamemnon_?" he demanded. Calling up his tactical display, Kayto watched as multiple red contacts lit up; ships dropping out of warp all around and practically on top of the _Sunrider._

"They've just made it into orbit," Ava replied, "Incoming hail from the _Agamemnon_."

"Put her through."

The _Agamemnon's_ captain, a thin, balding middle age man materialized on deck, giving Kayto a nervous salute. "I wish there were more time to chat Captain, but it looks like the PACT is going to try to complicate our evacuation. We're glad to have you with us, _Sunrider_."

"Likewise, _Agamemnon_. Leave the fighting to us and stay in our shadow. _Sunrider_ will provide cover for the _Agamemnon._ Do not break cover unless we specifically instruct you otherwise. Once we're out of Versta's gravity well, spool up your drives and get out of here as fast as you can, with or without us. Do we have an understanding?" asked Kayto, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Sweating, the man moped the shining top of his head and nodded. "Of course, Captain; we defer to your orders entirely."

"Is that big ship going to protect us?" asked a young girl's high pitched voice over the channel as the _Agamemnon's_ captain turned around in shock.

"Who let her on the bridge? Take her back to the passenger section, now!" he demanded, clearly agitated.

Feedback blared through the comms and Kayto reeled back and winced, his world blurring suddenly. Through the din, he heard a voice; an impossible voice.

 _Kayto! Kayto!_

Heart pounding, Kayto blinked and shook his head, a cold sweat breaking out over his body all of a sudden. The feedback washed away and the ringing in his ears cleared. Shaken, he looked around quickly, but everyone else was busy at their stations, paying him no heed. Raising a hand to mop the sweat from his brow, Kayto shifted uncomfortably; had he really imagined the whole thing?

" _Agamemnon_ , what the hell was that?! You have children aboard?!" demanded Kayto, his training overriding the surrealism and grounding him in the here and now of the mission, steeling his nerves.

"We... didn't want to trouble you with that information, _Sunrider_." _Agamemnon's_ captain's tone was pleading. "We didn't have space for all the refugees trying to flee the PACT invasion, but we couldn't say no to their children!

The new information suddenly made it clear why the Alliance diplomats and ship crew had declined to leave via shuttle so vehemently. "Copy that, _Agamemnon._ How many do you have aboard?"

"Just a little over six hundred, _Sunrider._ We're over full capacity, but it was the only way to get them off Versta before the PACT arrived. Please, we had to do what was right!"

Kayto nodded, "Of course. Do whatever it takes to protect them, even if it means leaving us behind. _Sunrider_ out."

"Thank you, Captain," said _Agamemnon's_ captain as he bowed gratefully and cut the communications.

"Attention all Ryders and crew," barked Kayto, keying shipwide transmissions. " _Sunrider_ will provide cover for the _Agamemnon_ and the six hundred children aboard her. I repeat, six hundred civilian children refugees. Defend her at all costs, don't let the PACT take a single open shot at her; those kids are depending on you. Shields out."

The CIC erupted into a cacophony of cheers, applause, and roars as crew from all over the ship yelled their approval through their speakers in a spontaneous, protocol-bending show of solidarity. Kayto felt his heart lift and his resolve solidify; his crew was depending on him to make the right decisions now.

Ava pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, unmoved by the display. "What a nightmare..."

"Bring us alongside the _Agamemnon_ , put us between her and the PACT" he instructed her, ignoring the pessimism. The civilian craft's engines were far more modest than the _Sunrider's_ , which forced Kayto to use his own ship as a shield as the _Agamemnon_ slowly pulled away from Versta. "A civilian liner won't last thirty seconds against them without cover. Weapons free as soon as the PACT enters laser range."

"Aye, Sir, _Sunrider_ coming about, moving at flank speed," confirmed Ava.

Outside, four PACT infantry Ryders deployed from the two nearest cruisers, picket and recon forces for the larger PACT invasion fleet undoubtedly preparing to exit warp. The Ryders rocketed off ahead towards _Sunrider_ , forming a line against them. Black Jack and _Sunrider_ both fired their lasers into their ranks, Liberty providing a targeting uplink to _Sunrider_. The PACT Ryders spun and dodged, their small profiles and superior speed granting them protection at range. One of the Ryders took a full blast by chance alone, injured, but still fully capable of continuing onward with the rest of its pack.

Together, three of the PACT Ryders took ranging shots of their own, landing a hit on Black Jack's frame. Under the cover of his comrades' fire, the squad leader of the PACT Ryders burned in to engage the Black Jack in close quarters combat.

"Give Black Jack some cover fire!" ordered Kayto.

"Aye, Sir. Firing all assault cannons!" confirmed Ava. On screen, _Sunrider's_ assault cannons swept across the enemy line, destroying the wounded Ryder and the one next to it. "Multiple impacts; two enemy Ryders down, Sir!"

"Black Jack, holding steady," reported Asaga, confirming that the Black Jack's armor had kept its vital systems safe. "Leave the closest mook to me!"

"Copy that," agreed Kayto, "Liberty, provide aim assist to Black Jack."

Black Jack's lasers discharged with extreme prejudice at close range, searing the squad leader's Ryder. Without missing a beat, Asaga thumbed her autocannon controls, dispatching the Ryder with a hailstorm of bullets.

"Additional PACT reinforcements!" cried Ava as three additional PACT infantry Ryders dropped in from their more distant carrier group. Slightly behind them, two slower Ryders with bulkier silhouettes accompanied the sortie. "Scanners read two additional PACT bomber Ryders behind them."

Kayto grunted his acknowledgment unhappily. The PACT bombers were essentially larger, better equipped infantry models with additional armor that mounted missile and rocket pods at the expense of mobility and maneuverability. Abandoning their short range assault cannon for a body shield, the PACT bomber represented a significant threat, especially when coupled with other missile launching PACT ships and units and when facing fleets without overwhelming flak defenses. Furthermore, their presence at Versta signified the arrival of the PACT's main invasion fleet, as the larger, more complicated Ryders were almost exclusively deployed from carriers, as opposed to cruisers.

As he weighed his options of engaging the new Ryder wing versus opening fire on the closing cruisers, Black Jack and Liberty penned in the final PACT Ryder, dispatching the unfortunate pilot with a coordinated pincer attack. "Liberty, Black Jack, stand by to fire on nearest PACT cruiser," he decided. "Discharge your lasers after the _Sunrider_ takes out their armor. Fire Saviors, give them all we've got!"

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors fired two salvos, emptying their payloads directly into the oncoming PACT cruiser. It was a testament to the focus of the _Sunrider's_ crew defending the _Agamemnon_ that not a single projectile missed at that range, punching devastating craters into the PACT cruiser's hull. Not moments after, Liberty and Black Jack discharged their laser weapons, lancing the stricken ship, which shuddered and exploded, tearing itself apart deck by deck.

"Slew the ship forty degrees to port; give them our lateral side. All hands, brace for impact," warned Kayto. Having decided to concentrate their fire on the lead cruiser, missile salvos from the PACT bombers were all but certain; they would have to rely upon their flak defenses and the _Sunrider_ herself to keep the _Agamemnon_ safe. On screen, the remaining cruiser continued driving forward with the three new infantry Ryders, apparently intending to overwhelm _Sunrider's_ position.

As predicted, the bomber Ryders let loose with their missiles as soon as they drew into range, dozens of white vapor trails streaking from their frames. Explosions dotted the sky as _Sunrider_ and Black Jack opened fire, their overlapping fields of fire shredding the oncoming missiles. Even so, the sheer number in the volley allowed five missiles to weave their way past the flak guns, their targeting micro-computers adjusting their trajectory with telemetry from destroyed missiles to avoid the oncoming fire. Slamming into _Sunrider's_ hull, they blasted craters into her armor, spraying molten metal away from the ship. To Kayto's relief, none of the missiles found their way past to the _Agamemnon_. Because of the Ryder's relatively small frame and capacity compared to a PACT missile frigate, their missile capacity was fairly limited, necessitating that the Ryder either withdraw from the fight to reload or switch to its secondary laser rifle, dramatically reducing its threat.

"Sections 32, 16, and 2 breached!" reported Ava as the CIC rocked with the impacts. "Sealing emergency bulkheads!"

"Damn it, always the same sections; we should get them reinforced or something... Fire Saviors again!" ordered Kayto as soon as the guns had cooled and reloaded. On screen, Black Jack took after the lead PACT infantry Ryder, closely pursued by the remaining two. Firing her guns, Asaga nailed the lead Ryder, tearing it asunder and flying through the cloud of flame and debris as she tried to shake the other two Ryders on her tail. Diving over then under the _Sunrider's_ prow, she clipped one of the pursuing Ryders with a burst from her machine gun as the Saviors discharged over their heads, narrowly missing them as they targeted the remaining PACT cruiser. With Liberty's added laser fire, the oncoming PACT cruiser paid dearly for its enthusiasm, crumpling on impact and splitting down her prow as she took slug after slug head on.

"Cruiser neutralized, Captain," reported Ava. "I'm detecting two additional cruisers and a missile frigate on intercept!"

Kayto gritted his teeth as the remaining Ryders took two potshots at _Sunrider_ , scoring direct hits against her armor and setting off alarms in the CIC as additional external sections were breached. "Black Jack, we need you to keep those mooks off us!"

"I got mah hands full over here, Capt'n!" came Asaga's strained voice as the Black Jack pulled into a severe arc, trying to shake a second barrage of missiles launched at her as the bomber Ryders emptied the last of their missiles. _Sunrider_ and Black Jack did their best to intercept with flak cannon fire as Asaga led the missiles on a chase, but ultimately fell short of downing them all. "Frame integrity starting to weaken..." Asaga's voice was slightly more concerned than it had been a second ago as Black Jack suffered several missile impacts to its rear.

"Fire pulse lasers, take them out!" ordered Kayto, the _Sunrider_ bringing her lasers to bear and torching the remaining infantry Ryders. "Liberty, sabotage their flak network, we're going to take out that missile boat before it gets a chance to launch!"

"Virus uploaded," confirmed Chigara. "PACT cruiser flak neutralized."

As neither the remaining bomber Ryders nor the missile frigate itself carried any point defense weapons, Black Jack and _Sunrider_ were free to let loose with missiles of their own.

"Missile pods running hot, fire all Hell Dart missiles," ordered Ava to the crew.

A dozen ports on the _Sunrider's_ hull opened in sequence, letting loose with her full complement of anti-ship missiles, quickly joined by their smaller counterparts from the Black Jack. Unimpeded, the missiles streaked forward and detonated on the missile frigate's lightly armored frame, setting off additional internal explosions and sinking the ship as a lucky missile flew straight into their armory. Likely stung, but undaunted, the PACT commanding officer threw both cruisers forward at maximum engine output. The two remaining bomber Ryders, closed distance slightly, firing their laser rifles and scoring a lucky hit on the increasingly battered Black Jack.

"Uhh... Captain... I've got a lot of red lights turning on here," warned Asaga. "What the-?"

Icari's voice burst over their communication frequency as she hacked into their secure channel, startling Asaga. " _Sunrider_ , get out of my way! This is your last warning!" her voice sounded frustrated.

"Triangulate her signal, now!" ordered Kayto, muting their end of the comm channel.

"Oy!" Asaga yelled indignantly back at the mercenary. "Don't you see what's going on here? There are children aboard that ship; six hundred of them. If you go through with this, those kids are goin' to die!"

"If I don't go through with it, a million other children will die as the PACT conquers their planets, one at a time!" Icari's voice trembled slightly as she retorted.

"You don't even know if that's true!" yelled Asaga, pounding her console with a solid thud. "Letting them die right now doesn't guarantee anyone's survival in the future. Screw thinkin' about what might happen tomorrow! 'Cause you got innocents to protect right here, right now!"

"You're naive." Icari's voice stiffened with resolve. "It's ugly and maybe no one wants to admit it, but war's always involved sacrifice. You're just blind to reality and passing it off as righteousness. I've made up my mind... if you won't stand aside... I'll just have to take matters into my own hands."

"Y-you're crazy!" shouted Asaga as Icari's hacked signal cut off abruptly.

"Captain, we have a fix on the Phoenix," reported Ava, "The mercenary is behind PACT lines, likely just outside their sensor range. Advise we mop up what's left of their advance forces before she gets a chance to engage."

Kayto nodded, accepting Ava's plan. "Make it happen, Commander."

"All Saviors fire! Take them out!" barked Ava.

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors fired again, landing devastating blow after blow on the closest PACT cruiser, breaking the ship's spine and gutting her straight down the mid-line in some of the finest shooting Kayto had seen _Sunrider's_ crew let loose with yet. As she detonated, Black Jack and Liberty poured laser fire at the now lame PACT bombers, cutting one to pieces and leaving the other one struggling to continue. The remaining PACT cruiser and Ryder returned fire, _Sunrider_ shuddering angrily as their lasers cut through to her internal sections, causing them to depressurize explosively.

"Rerouting systems and sealing emergency bulkheads!" cried Ava, "Don't let them get another shot in; fire Saviors as soon as they're ready!"

"Watch the Phoenix," warned Kayto as the yellow Ryder came into visual range, streaking towards the _Sunrider_ from behind the PACT cruiser at alarming speeds. The PACT ship's turrets strained to track her yellow frame as it flashed over them to no avail. "Damn, that girl's got guts..." he muttered, admiring the mercenary's impressive piloting skills. For speed like that, the Phoenix undoubtedly mounted some of the galaxy's most powerful thrusters on what probably was the lightest Ryder frame Icari could get away with. Studded along the Ryder's rear for main propulsion and arrayed outwards from its back like a pair of angel wings, the Phoenix's thrusters boasted an unprecedented speed and maneuverability specs, even by Ryder standards, approaching the near suicidal limit of Ryder technology. The fact that she was still alive piloting an unbalanced Ryder like that was a mark of her extraordinary piloting abilities.

 _Sunrider_ let loose once again with her powerful deck guns, slugging the PACT cruiser into submission before a final kinetic slug knocked out enough ship-critical systems to leave the vessel dark and dead. Taking exception to the threat the Phoenix posed to the _Agamemnon_ , Asaga took off towards her in the Black Jack, firing her pulse lasers as fast as the weapon would cycle and leaving the wounded bomber to Liberty. As Liberty delivered the finishing touches the the PACT Ryder, Asaga and Icari played a dangerous game of chase. The Phoenix's speed made it a tricky target as it pulled a number of hair-raising maneuvers, dodging Black Jack's fire from the rear with inhuman ability.

Kayto gripped the arms of his chair with sweaty palms; if the Phoenix managed to dodge past the _Sunrider_ , there would be no way to protect that _Agamemnon_ from a direct shot. Already, Icari had ducked under the firing arcs of the _Sunrider's_ flak cannons, rendering the larger ship unable to provide assistance for the Black Jack's pursuit.

Flying at reckless speeds, the yellow Ryder's only disadvantage was that Black Jack knew exactly where it was headed; towards the _Agamemnon_. Choosing a more direct path to avoid _Sunrider_ and minimize the time Black Jack had on her tail, Icari unfortunately opened up the Phoenix's rear to the possibility of a crippling, well placed shot from the Black Jack in an all-or-nothing bet for the fate of the _Agamemnon._

"Come on, come on..." ground out Asaga as she mashed her weapon controls repeatedly, pouring all her concentration into scoring a hit on the flighty Phoenix. Sweat dripped down her brow, stinging her eyes as the distance counter towards the _Agamemnon_ dwindled down insanely fast. Laser light flashed in her eyes from the Black Jack's main monitors as her weapons flared repeatedly and the entire frame groaned as Black Jack struggled to keep up with Phoenix.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Asaga screamed as she slammed her thumbs down, exhausting the last of her laser weapon's reserve. The laser pulses streaked forward, miraculously scoring hits on Phoenix's delicate frame and exposed engines. "HHAAHAAAA!" her scream seamlessly transitioned to whoop of exhilaration as she watched the Phoenix's engines short out, sending the slim Ryder into a desperate tumble as it desperately tried to correct with its damaged "wings." Blasting past the damaged Ryder at top speed, the Black Jack slowly began to arc back, unable to overcome its inertia the same way as Phoenix could.

* * *

From inside the Phoenix, Icari's jaw clenched and her eyes flashed as she wrestled with her Ryder's controls, its uncontrolled spin putting an almost unreal amount of centripetal force on her body, threatening to black her out. Detecting unacceptable gee-forces, her Ryder suit's internal fabric automatically tightened like a vise, clamping down on her legs to prevent blood from pooling away from her head.

Shaking violently, the Phoenix screamed out in protest with a dozen shrill alarms. Fighting the darkness creeping into her vision and barely able to breathe, Icari lifted a struggling hand, every effort feeling ten times normal, tapping a series of flashing red symbols on the touch panel to her left. What was left of the Phoenix's thruster capacity flickered to life as her computer did its best to compensate and protect its pilot with the limited resources and damaged systems at its disposal. Gradually, the strain and pressure on her body lifted as the Phoenix's retrothrusters engaged, allowing her to breath deeply again as the Ryder righted itself and stopped its uneven spin.

Utterly exhausted, Icari rebooted her systems, face long with the number of damaged functions the computer read out to her with a cracked, glowing red screen. Aside from the most limited of engine and thruster capacity, the only remaining intact systems were the autocannons mounted into each of the Phoenix's armatures. Everything else, including life support, had essentially ceased to function. As her breath panted out, beginning to condense in front of her as the cabin cooled dramatically, Icari gritted her teeth. Hair shielding her eyes, face down with grim determination, she put her hands on Phoenix's controls one more time.

"-enix... -ome in... Phoenix!" Asaga's voice burst through the static of her crippled communications array. "Surrender now, it's over!"

Icari's breath quickened, "You haven't won yet... All that you've accomplished here today is letting the PACT have their way with the Neutral Rim and its people... I won't allow that!" Icari yelled the last bit with conviction. "With my own hands... I'll rid the galaxy of the PACT... I'll do whatever it takes, for everyone they've murdered!"

"-cari, stop!" Kayto's voice burst over the static of the channel as well.

Pointing the Phoenix's autocannons directly at the hull of the _Agamemnon_ , nothing could stop her in time from completing her mission. One push of her firing controls and her autocannon rounds would tear through the civilian liner's thin hull without any measure of difficulty. "This... this is for everyone I lost..."

As she dropped the targeting reticle over the _Agamemnon_ , her hands froze as her screen automatically zoomed in on her target. A child, brown haired and no older than 8, peered out the liner's large viewport, mouth agape at the starships and Ryders chasing after one another during the battle. Tear tracks from her large brown eyes showed clearly on her face, evidence of the fear and apprehension the passengers of the liner had felt while _Sunrider_ and her Ryders fought against wave after wave of PACT intercept forces. As the child looked out at her Ryder, Icari felt her eyes drill into her, even though it was impossible that the girl could know she was directly in between the Ryder's crosshairs. Slowly, the child raised a hand to the window, pressing it against the transparent hull, refusing to look away from the barrels of the guns pointed at her.

Icari's thumbs trembled over the firing studs as a tear of her own slid down her cheek. "D-damn..." she whispered through gritted teeth. For a second, the girl's hair turned black and her eyes green. Flames devoured the _Agamemnon's_ hull as the girl pulled away, hands pressed against her view port in horror, screaming and crying, alone and adrift. The view turned blurry as additional tears pooled in Icari's eyes, streaming down her face and splashing down on her armor and controls. "W-why...?" Icari dropped her controls, allowing the Phoenix to stand down, before pounding the console with her fists, inadvertently triggering her microphone. "WHY!?"

"Because you're nothing like the PACT, Icari."

Kayto's serious voice crackled over the communications array, somewhat garbled, but filled with kindness and warmth despite everything she had done. Clutching onto the sound of his voice as a lifeline thrown to her in the storm of despair welling up in her chest, she grabbed on and hung to it, drowning in the sea of conflict and sorrow within her.

"Don't ever forget that."

"I-I... damn it..." sobbed Icari, switching off her comms before letting loose with the torrent of emotion. Tears streaming and gasping for breath, she cried for an entire minute before steadying herself, trying to calm down before checking her Ryder controls to confirm that her end of the channel remained muted. Gulping, she wiped tears from her face and chin before opening the channel, speaking wetly, but as close to normal as she could manage. "...So uncool..."

"Captain, we've escaped Versta's gravity well." Ava's voice was tiny in the background. " _Agamemnon_ is warping out, Sir."

In front of the Phoenix, space and time twisted apart before the civilian liner as her warp drives spooled up at emergency speed. With a pulse of her engines, the _Agamemnon_ eased into the tear, disappearing in the blink of an eye and carrying its passengers towards the promise of safety.

"Mission accomplished, people," Kayto's voice announced. "Spool up our own drive, get us out of here before the rest of that invasion fleet comes around Versta. All Ryders, come back home."

Icari slumped in her seat and drew her legs up, shivering suddenly as she realized how cold and dark the Phoenix's cockpit had become. Alone, only the beating of her heart and the sound of her crystallizing breath kept her company as the Phoenix drifted. With a small, sad smile, she pressed her forehead against the cold metal of her Ryder suit's thigh plates, curled up against the harshness of the universe. After the life she had, after all the close calls and suicidal risks... dying in the peace and quiet of interstellar space, adrift in her prized Ryder, didn't seem so bad.

"That means you too, Icari. Bay 03 is ready and waiting for the Phoenix."

Icari jumped at Kayto's order, almost certain she had misheard him. An unwelcome flush in her cheeks crept to the surface.

"Do you need a tow or do you still have enough functionality to dock?" asked Ava.

"I... Understood; Phoenix returning to base," called in Icari, a warmth rising in her chest against the cold. Ignoring the smug note in Ava's voice, Icari resolved to use the Phoenix's own engines, even if it killed her in the process; anything to avoid the humiliation of being towed back in addition to having to face the First Officer again.

Grabbing Phoenix's controls, she dumped ever last watt of power the Phoenix had left into the thrusters to push the Ryder towards the _Sunrider_ pitifully slowly compared to its usual flight speed, limping towards the warm lights and safe harbor of the ship's Ryder bays.

* * *

As soon as the Ryders had safely landed in _Sunrider's_ hanger bay, the assault carrier warped, jumping away from Versta and the PACT fleet bearing down on their coordinates, eager to avenge their comrade's deaths. Confirming that _Sunrider_ had successfully evaded pursuit, Kayto left the CIC with Ava in tow.

"HaHa! That's two for two, Capt'n" hooted Asaga, flashing a "V" sign with her fingers in his face as she charged out of bay 01's lift.

Kayto met her high-five as she bounced past, wincing slightly as her armored gauntlet slapped into his hand unforgivingly.

"Ah... I've come back too, Captain," Chigara's quiet voice drifted towards them as she walked closer from 02's lift, smiling nervously and holding a hand up awkwardly.

"You two did great out there," affirmed Kayto as the two pilots beamed at him.

"Captain." Ava's tone was serious as she nodded towards bay 03's lift, from which Icari had emerged, lingering uncertainly by the door frame as she watched the reunion in front of her. As she took a step in their direction, Ava set a hand on her pistol's butt.

Kayto ignored Ava, taking a few steps forward towards the yellow-clad pilot as she eyed them warily. "Well..." his tone was light. "Feels better to be one of the good guys, huh, Icari?"

Icari crossed her arms and stood akimbo, looking somewhere to the left of her boot. "I-it's not like I was helping you or anything... I just... felt bad about those kids, that's all."

Kayto said nothing, watching her face soften as she took a deep breath.

"...But I guess... I guess I was wrong. For a moment, it felt like I was really ready to do it. I would have killed all those kids, every last one, just to get even with the PACT." Icari shuddered slightly as she forced herself to look up into the eyes of everyone watching her.

"The PACT killed my whole family when I was twelve. We were just space explorers, pushing out where no one had ever gone before. We had no money, no treasures... just our ship and each other. But they came aboard anyways, demanded charts and information we knew nothing about. I... watched their leader shoot my mother between the eyes. Just because we couldn't give them what they wanted. I ran, ran past them killing the rest of my family. When it was over, I barely made it to an escape pod before they blasted the ship. Drifted in space for five days, no food, water, or heat until an Alliance patrol picked my signal up and brought me aboard, half dead." Icari's face crumpled as the memories surfaced, driving unwilling tears down her face as her shoulders shook. Bowing her head and hiding her shame from the others, she finished her story.

"Just me. No one else made it. After that, I traveled the galaxy, ran with some of the wrong people for a while, trying to get even with the PACT and avenge my family. I've never done anything else with my life and... I'm not about to stop now."

Icari's story finished, leaving the hanger catwalk silent as Asaga and Chigara stared at her, wide-eyed. Even Ava seemed a little sympathetic, frowning and slowly dropping her hand from her sidearm.

"But... something stayed your hand out there," said Kayto as he took a step closer to Icari. "Something told you that murdering those children wouldn't avenge your family. If you did that, you'd be no better than the men who came aboard your family's ship that day."

Icari kept silent, tears continuing to rain down from her chin. Although she had no words, her silence assented to Kayto's sentiment.

"I know a better way," suggested Kayto gently. Icari gave a twitch and looked up, meeting his gaze. "Our hanger bay's awfully empty and we're looking for skilled pilots. Play by our rules and bay 03 will always be waiting for you to come home."

Icari's clouded green eyes cleared as she reached out to him through the conflict and turmoil within her, wanting desperately to believe in his words, even if she couldn't admit it.

"We'll get even with the PACT and kick them out of the Neutral Rim, but we're going to defeat them the right way, without hurting any civilians or innocents. That's going to make the mission a hell of a lot harder, maybe even deadlier, but that's the cost... I guess I'd rather be dead than forget about who we're fighting to protect or why we're doing it in the first place," said Kayto, shrugging and clasping his hands behind his back.

"You... you'd still have me on the crew? Even after everything I've done?" asked Icari, almost fearfully.

Kayto smiled sadly, "We've all lost family to the PACT on this ship, Icari. Don't think for a second that you're alone."

"I-, Captain..." Icari gave a wet smile. "I'm... ashamed... of what I did. Of the kindness you're showing me... but, maybe you're right. Maybe we can win this war without using the methods the PACT relies on." Straightening her back, she drew herself up as the flow of tears staunched on her face. "I'll help you defeat the PACT... and I'll play by your rules."

"Don't think that being part of the crew means I won't have my eyes on you, mercenary," growled Ava from behind Kayto as he smiled. "You may have won the Captain's sympathies, but give me a reason, and I'll be the one throwing you in the brig."

"Oy!" Asaga chimed in too. "Capt'n! Don't you think she's tried to slit our throats one too many times to be crew?"

Kayto turned to them as Icari flinched as though slapped. "We all make mistakes, Asaga. Icari could have killed any of us if she wanted to, but she was better than that. We all want to defeat the PACT, and that means forgiving, forgetting, and trusting each other first." Turning to back to Icari, he continued. "Looks like you've got a lot of patching up to do before folks stop locking up at night; are you up to the challenge?"

Icari saluted emotionally. "Sir! I swear I'll use this chance to make things right." Looking past Kayto, she looked at Asaga, Chigara, and Ava in turn. "I'll win your trust. We'll fight together from now on."

Asaga looked embarrassed as she rubbed her neck, "Fine, fine, I guess an extra wing-mate is fine, so long as you keep your guns on the PACT!"

Chigara smiled timidly with hunched shoulders. "Ah... w-welcome to the team, Icari! Heh... let's all get along now, ok? No more fighting."

"Hmph," Ava tried to put on a strong front. "I'll make sure we get you some fresh uniforms and set you up with the pilot quarters you stayed in last time. What are you, a size two?"

"Thanks everyone..." Icari said quietly with a smile.

"Alright, alright, enough mushy stuff!" declared Asaga loudly. "I'm starving! Let's grab some grub!"

"Unbelievable..."

"Everyone's coming, no buts about it! That means you too, Capt'n!" demanded Asaga. "We've got to talk, catch up, laugh, cry, and bond like a team!"

Kayto grinned, "Looks like you've got me. Alright team, let's head on up."

"S-seriously..." Icari grumbled halfheartedly without malice. "I guess I don't have a choice then..."

* * *

As the evening hours dragged on, _Sunrider's_ mess hall became a scene of complete chaos and abandonment of the usually strict Ava-enforced military protocols aboard the ship. Not two hours earlier, Kayto had used his Captain's codes to release the alcohol lockouts on the mess hall dispensary to thunderous applause and wild cheering. Now, nursing a vodka and tonic, his second one, he eyed his crew fondly as they spilled their drinks, laughing and singing in the first real victory celebration they had had since the _Sunrider_ had launched.

Across the table, Ava leaned in, practically shouting over the din of the room around them. "Captain, I'm not certain this was the best idea; protocol regarding on-duty alcohol consumption-"

"Relax, Ava," interrupted Kayto, noting that his First Officer had conspicuously remained abstinent of drink through the evening. "Ship morale isn't something that we can afford to ignore. Our crew just saved the lives of over six hundred child refugees and gave the PACT a damned good black eye to boot. They deserve this."

"Hmph," Ava waved a hand, irritated. "I suppose... but things are starting to get a little out of hand," she said, nodding towards Icari and Asaga.

The two were surrounded by a dozen cheering crew members as Chigara hovered nervously over the two, locked in a drunk arm wrestling match.

"SKILL!" bellowed Asaga, her face flushed the same color as her hair.

"LUCK!" roared back Icari, grimacing as she pushed back against Asaga's arm.

The match continued for a good ten seconds before Asaga's arm collapsed; the crowd cheered gleefully and began chanting as Asaga pulled a long drink straight from the pitcher next to her, liquor splashing all over the table. Slamming the drink down, she shook her head and put her arm back on the table, challenging Icari to an umpteenth round.

Seeing Ava's eyebrow arch critically, Kayto felt himself inclined to agree. The crew had clearly reached the point of maximum benefit from the celebration and it was, perhaps, time to put a close to things before any brawls erupted. "I suppose it would be better for morale if they remembered at least part of tonight," grinned Kayto to Ava's relief. Standing up, he felt a pleasant buzz in his lips and fingertips as he headed over to the dispensary. "Computer," he said, flashing his identity chip to the device. "Limit all crew members to one final alcoholic beverage; rescind all unused privileges at 0300."

Taking one last look around at the crew of the _Sunrider_ , Kayto turned to leave the mess hall. As he walked towards the exit, he caught Ava's eye one more time. Perhaps it was the two vodkas swirling in him that put the thought in his head, but, on an impulse, he changed his route and returned to their table.

"Ava..."

"Captain." Ava's tone was open, but unimpressed.

"Come up to my quarters tomorrow," he offered casually.

Ava arched her eyebrow at him appraisingly, waiting for him to continue.

"Just to talk and catch up over a cup of tea," said Kayto quickly. "It'll only take a few minutes, come on."

"I- ...Alright then," agreed Ava, the merest hints of a smile at the corner of her lips. "Tomorrow, 0800."

"Perfect." Kayto got up happily. "Good evening, Commander."

"Good evening, Captain," Ava threw him a lazy salute, not even bothering to rise, perhaps lulled from her usual ramrod attention by the party's atmosphere.

* * *

Leaving the noise and dark of the mess hall, _Sunrider's_ corridors seemed a little too bright for comfort as he retired to his quarters, ears ringing from the noise of the celebration. Upon entering his quarters, Kayto undid the remaining fasteners on his uniform, breathing out with relief and watching the soothing night sky from the quarter's simulated window. As the stars outside twinkled welcomingly, he allowed himself a private smile. Whatever the consequence, _Sunrider_ and her crew had taken a stand for all that was right, besting the PACT and garnering them a new ally. Although the path to victory had been difficult, everything that had happened afterwards made the whole thing worth it.

Halfway undressed, he caught sight of his sister's picture on the shelf behind the desk. Sadness entered into his features as he picked the holo up, Icari's words echoing in his mind. _Are you scared for her? Scared for what the PACT did or is going to do to her?_

He flashed back to the day he'd watched Cera City burn, blasted into ash and molten metal by the _Legion's_ merciless strike. It seemed insane to continue to hold onto the shred of hope that his sister had survived, yet, the abyss of sorrow and fear that churned behind his denial was too much to bear. Kayto felt a sickening swoop of abject terror run through his mind, leaving the corrupting stain of despair behind to eat into his foundation. Hands trembling, Kayto felt a sudden urge to smash the holo, to scream out loud in a primal expression of his pain.

Gasping, he stumbled back from the holo, dropping it on his desk, suddenly feeling nauseous. Staggering to his quarter's lavatory, he splashed cold water onto his face, over and over again until his breath slowed and the cold sweat stopped.

 _Get a grip, Kayto... the crew... think about the crew_.

Looking up into the mirror, Kayto watched the color flit back to his face. For the sake of the _Sunrider_ , he could not afford to have any self-doubt. Their mission, to return to Cera and liberate it from the PACT, hinged on his unswerving dedication to see it done. That, in turn, required him to hope; even if it was a hope against any reason. Swallowing hard, Kayto felt his world steady.

Hope. The one thing he had left. The reason the _Sunrider_ had saved the lives of six hundred children that day. Wherever she was, Kayto knew his sister would be proud of what had transpired above Versta today.

 _This one was for you, Maray. This one was for you._


	9. Tea and Royalty

**Chapter 9- Tea and Royalty**

* * *

"Captain..." Admiral Grey's tone was clipped but superficially polite. "My staff said you wanted to speak with me. Was there a problem with the funds forwarded to your account?"

"Not at all," Kayto's fingers drummed his chair's armrest as the Admiral's avatar gave him a cool look. "I merely wished to offer the courtesy of giving you a report of the events at Versta personally. It's not every day our humble ship receives a contract from the mighty Alliance Space Force."

Grey gave him a forced, hollow smile. "I already read the reports; you give yourselves far too little credit, Captain. Four PACT cruisers and an entire wing of Ryders eliminated by your _Sunrider_ and two Ryders while defending a civilian ship. Miraculous, some would say."

"My crew just did what they needed to do to keep those kids safe, Admiral," Kayto's voice could have frozen helium as he leaned forward. "I shudder to think what kind of tragedy would have resulted if we had been too late... six hundred children, nothing could possibly have been worth it."

"The PACT are monsters, Captain, never forget that." The Admiral chose his words carefully, loading them with as much meaning as Kayto's. "Every day this war in the Neutral Rim drags on is another tragedy for those who fall to their machinations."

Kayto nodded, "I'm with you on that Admiral. The PACT's disregard for human life borders inhumanity itself, how fortunate the Alliance places greater value on the lives of civilians and children."

"They'll be seen to with the best the Alliance can offer them in their time of need," the Admiral tersely replied, his jaw clenching with barely suppressed anger. "We'll make sure they're taken care of until the day they can return to Versta and their parents. Now... Captain, I'm sure you can appreciate that I'm a busy man, was there anything else you wanted to trouble me for?"

"Nothing at all," smiled Kayto. "Pleasure doing business with the Alliance."

* * *

Ava sat on one of the sofas in Kayto's quarter's lower personal section, trying to relax as he puttered about making tea. As she watched his back, he turned around suddenly, giving her a smile. Quickly looking away, she cast about her mind for a casual conversation piece, failing miserably. Fortunately, Kayto returned to his tea set, giving her the dubious luxury of sitting in awkward silence.

Finally, he brought the set to the table, handing her a steaming china cup and saucer before taking a seat opposite to her. Bringing the cup to her lips, she blew gently before sipping the tea, hot and strong, and nodded appreciatively at the fine china and brew.

"I've been meaning to use this set at some point," started Kayto, taking a sip himself and breaking the silence. "It's fresh out of the box; what do you think?"

"I didn't know you were into tea," remarked Ava. "That time I gave you an Alliance made tea set for your birthday seemed to have gone over your head."

"I'm still not nearly sophisticated enough," said Kayto with an embarrassed smile and shrug. "This one was a gift from my family for this commission. I'm afraid I left your set back on Cera..."

"It's been a while since we could just talk like this," offered Ava, even though in all honestly, very little talking had been had yet. She settled deeper into the sofa, a fraction more at ease.

"Reminds me of old times, like how we used to play cards in the student council office."

Ava's lips curled in a small smile, "I'm honestly surprised you even remember. It's been so many years since we last did that."

Kayto looked even more embarrassed, turning slightly pink. "I guess seeing you again made me all nostalgic. You know, you really haven't changed much since then."

"Things are different now, Captain," Ava sounded equal parts stern and nostalgic. "Back then, you were the one following me."

"It was only natural, I suppose," said Kayto, pensive. "How long have we known each other? We practically grew up as family... I guess I just wanted to be closer to you and see you in action."

Ava arched an eyebrow over her cup of tea.

"I mean, you were always in motion back then, getting things done... Honestly, I guess I was a bit awed. I guess I just wanted to be with you and to learn from the best."

"That's odd," Ava's tone was light. "You'd have think I'd have taught you better than this..." She sighed softly, "It's funny hearing you say that now."

"Do you..." Kayto hesitated before finishing his question. "Do you ever think about what it'd be like if you were sitting in the Captain's seat instead?" The thought had been on his mind since he stepped aboard _Sunrider_ but he had never had the occasion or courage to ask her directly.

"No," Ava's tone was flat. "I'm your First Officer now, Captain, there's nothing more to it than that. I'll execute and relay your orders to the crew, and that's all there is to it..." Ava sipped her tea thoughtfully. "Honestly... I'm not sure how it would have worked out. Deciding to go after those slavers, rescuing the _Agamemnon_... you made the decision to do those things without knowing any of the details or knowing what repercussions your decision would have. All I can say is that if I were Captain, _Sunrider_ might have made some very different decisions."

"Maybe you would have felt differently if you were Captain," refuted Kayto, trying to cheer Ava up.

Ava laughed, suddenly much more girlish than he had seen since coming aboard.

"I'm sorry... it's just... I was still thinking about high school. Back then, it felt like I had so many problems. Some days it felt like they were insurmountable. But now, looking back... how to deal with the principle who wouldn't even look at our budgets, what clothes to wear for the student assembly address, planning for the winter festival... it was nothing compared to the kinds of decisions we have to make out here, a one ship army against the whole of the PACT empire. Kind of makes high school seem like a joke, right?" Ava's tone took on a note of bitterness.

"Well we were just kids," dismissed Kayto with a grin. "Back then, the principle was almost as bad as the Veniczar, himself. Probably just as pig-headed and fat too."

Ava laughed out loud, her eyes bright. Looking at Kayto with surprising fondness, she shook her head. "You're too kind Kayto..." Sighing, she continued, a little sad. "Considering the situation... I wonder if it's time for you to drop the optimism and make some of the hard calls."

Taking another sip of tea, Ava continued, growing serious again and fixing Kayto with her cherry eyes. "This isn't high school anymore, Kayto, no matter how much we want it to be. There's a war going on out there and compassion on the battlefield can mean death. As Captain, you have the responsibility to put everything, including our lives, in danger to fulfill our duty. Personal feelings don't come into it; you have to do what has to be done."

"I have a duty to keep all of you safe as well," said Kayto, meeting her deadly serious gaze. "If I didn't consider my personal feelings, I wouldn't be able to do that.

"It's your ship," answered Ava, deflecting his rebuttal. "It's just something to keep in mind, that's all."

Pausing for a moment and swirling her tea, Ava stared at the amber contents of her cup before voicing a thought that had been weighing heavily on her since Kayto had stepped off the shuttle onto _Sunrider_ for the first time. "Kayto, those days when we were in high school are gone... and we can't ever go back to them. It's time to move on."

Kayto was silent as he dropped his gaze into his own cup of tea, a pit of disappointment forming in his stomach. Everything about the way Ava had been behaving since their reunion had suggested, without much subtlety at times, that such was the case, but hearing it in words from her own mouth drove the message home.

"Everything's different now," insisted Ava. "Even our home is gone; Cera's nothing more than a PACT colony now."

"They'll pay for what they've done to our home, Ava," Kayto said softly, the pain and suffering of his planet overshadowing his own personal conflict for the moment.

"To be honest, I'd rather not think about it." Ava's tone flattened again. "All the people lost... All the memories destroyed... It's too much to think about and stay functional at the same time."

Kayto said nothing, not trusting himself to speak after last night's lapse, but his silence was all the agreement Ava needed.

"I'm sorry, it's hard to talk about. Pretty much everyone in the crew's lost someone close to them." Ava looked at what remained of her tea morosely.

Like him, Ava likely feared the worse for her own family, although the odds for her were likely even more bleak than his own; her father had been serving as the XO of the _Gallant_ before she went down with all hands at the Fall of Cera. Was it more painful to know that your loved one had departed with no hope of return or to hope against all odds of their survival? Kayto could find no answer, although he doubted Ava's torment was any less raw than his own. "We have to stop the PACT. So that what happened on Cera never happens again," he declared, as much to Ava as to himself.

"Understood, Sir," answered Ava crisply, coming back to the present and nodding her approval. "I'll be right behind you every step of the way."

Their spirits rising, Kayto refilled their cups, pouring the last of the tea from the pot. "Give me your thoughts on our pilots," he asked Ava, curious as to her opinion on the latest additions to the _Sunrider's_ crew.

"A motley bunch, that much I'll say," answered Ava with a facial expression that couldn't be sure whether it wanted to be a smile or frown. "Asaga's been stirring up just about any sort of trouble you can imagine with the rest of the crew. Just the other day, I caught her gambling with a few of the others."

"I can't imagine it's a regular occurrence, we keep her too busy for that," shrugged Kayto. "Besides, it's not like a wager for chores or dessert ever hurt anyone."

"Captain," Ava's tone was cross. "Cera naval protocol mandates that gambling be strictly forbidden."

"Everyone needs to blow off steam once in a while, Ava. Don't be so strict," Kayto urged.

"If that's your order, Sir."

"No," Kayto shook his head firmly. "What I'm trying to say, Ava, is that protocol means less now that Cera's been overrun by the PACT. We're in a situation which no protocol ever trained us to handle. We need to stay flexible and think about what makes sense and what doesn't anymore."

"That's all fine and well for you," shot back Ava. "You get to play nice-guy if you want, but someone has to enforce discipline on this ship, especially because there's no protocol for our situation."

"Alright, alright," acquiesced Kayto, taking her point. Even though her policies were heavy handed, her frustration was real; he needed to support his First Officer, even if it meant a slight dip in popularity, to make sure balance aboard the _Sunrider_ was maintained and conflicts minimized. If the two of them met halfway, everything would probably work itself out. "Just... don't push yourself or the crew too hard OK? Take a break and relax every now and then. I'll do my part to keep this ship together too, deal?"

"Deal," agreed Ava, although Kayto was still unsure whether she had fully accepted his point of view.

"How's Chigara doing?" he inquired, continuing their discussion about the Ryder pilots.

"Things are much better with that one," Ava's tone was approving. "I'm really impressed with her; she totally turned Engineering around. _Sunrider's_ never been smoother and the entire engineering crew seems to really respect her. I'm glad we brought her aboard."

"Me too," agreed Kayto. " _Sunrider_ wouldn't be the same without her. How about Icari? Did everything go smoothly with her moving in and joining the crew?"

"As smoothly as possible," sighed Ava, still clearly holding onto some reservations about her character. "Still, I can't complain; she's just started with the crew, but she was up at 0600 sharp to start patching holes in our security systems and to get started on fixing up her Phoenix with Chigara. If she keeps it up... well, maybe I was wrong to judge her so harshly."

"Great, keep me posted," said Kayto, satisfied.

The conversation having wound down, both Ava and Kayto set down their cups, neither sure how to end the sit-down chat.

"I... should get to the CIC," muttered Ava.

Kayto nodded, "I should get back to work too. Thanks for the chat, Ava. You should come by more often; I could put this tea set to good use."

Ava half-smiled, half grimaced, rising from the couch and saluting. "We'll see, Captain. Maybe next time we have a free moment." With a swish of her long chestnut hair, Ava turned and ascended the staircase, showing herself out of Kayto's quarters as he stood and took the tea set away to be cleaned.

* * *

Ava splashed water on her face at the basin of her sink back in her XO's quarters. Although not as large as the Captain's quarters, her room was large enough for a bathroom, small study, and personal space. Most importantly, it was, thankfully, private.

Staring at her reflection, Ava breathed deeply, suddenly developing a pounding headache. Tea with Kayto had brought up all manner of unwelcome thoughts and feelings in her chest, first and foremost, her father's passing. Ava held no doubt the man had perished aboard the _Gallant_ as she went down before her very eyes. Even if her fusion core had not detonated and blown the ship apart, Ava knew her own father too well to ever imagine the man crawling to an escape pod. If there was anyone whose pride and duty demanded that he go down with the ship, it would be her father.

A strange feeling welled up in her breast. Honestly, she had been so busy making sure the ship didn't fall apart physically or into anarchy that she had never given herself any time to grieve for her father, although... now that she thought of it, what she found in her chest was nothing like the grief she expected. It should hurt, shouldn't it? Losing your only family? But as Ava stared into her reflection, she saw no remorse behind her cherry eyes, no sadness or grief on her face.

Curling a hand into a fist and slamming it down on the cold porcelain of her sink, she gasped and tried to force a tear out for her father, not out of sentiment, but because she felt that she ought to as his daughter.

 _'What the hell is wrong with me?!'_ Ava thought, wanting to scream at her reflection.

Her father had been a hard man, but a good one. He had taught her the meaning of responsibility, duty, and honor. He had made her strong enough to stand on her own and hold herself to higher standards than the mediocrity she was forced to endure from the softer, weaker individuals around her. It was because of him that she had left everything and everyone behind to join the Cera Space Force; it was for him that she had devoted the last four years of her life singlemindedly to her duty and training, to live up to the family name Crescentia.

And now? Ava gritted her teeth, wondering what her father would have thought of her if he were still alive. Frittering away time and discipline on a drunken celebration of what amounted to a minor, insignificant moral victory against yet another PACT occupation of a Neutral Rim territory? Taking tea with her superior officer and attending to something as insipid and selfish as her personal life and relationship?

Ava unconsciously touched the fabric on the back of her uniform, running her hand down her back. She could almost see his glare in the mirror, reflecting behind her own eyes. Tearing a towel off the rack on the wall, she patted her face dry forcefully, chiding herself mentally.

Her face hardening, she tossed the towel back onto the rack and spun on her heel, sweeping out of her quarters and back to her duties without another look back, afraid of what she might find.

* * *

"Ughhh..." Asaga glared at the robotic dispensary through a groggy slit, trying to avoid the bright lights of the mess hall. "What's do you have for for headaches?"

"If you require medical attention, please report to the sickbay," suggested the machine cheerfully.

"No ship doctor, remember?" growled Asaga.

"I'm sorry, please repeat your query." The programming governing the dispensary was not designed to hold extended conversation no immediately related to the menu on hand.

"Forget it, just give me some food."

"Coming right up, ma'am."

The dispensary's slot ejected out a the standard crew breakfast tray, having defaulted to general settings in the absence of additional instructions. Reconstituted eggs and ersatz sausages steamed on a plate, along with a small serving of preserved fruit, an unbelievably dark roast coffee, and a nutrition supplement.

"Ugh... I think I'm going to puke," grumbled Asaga as she held the tray at arms length, trying to avoid the smell. Sitting down at a table, she gulped the coffee as fast as the scalding liquid would go down her throat. After a minute, the world swam back into focus and she took stock of her surroundings fully for the first time that morning. "C-Capt'n!"

"Rough morning, Asaga?" Kayto asked serenely, smiling as she recoiled in horror.

"N-no! But keep your voice down... please." Asaga did her best to straighten up, draining the last of her coffee before turning to poke at the rest of the breakfast unenthusiastically. "Did you need me for somethin' Capt'n?"

"Just making the rounds," he answered breezily. "Looked to me like you and Icari buried the hatchet last night."

"Ah, just 'cause we were drinking doesn't mean we're buddies!" Asaga stuck her nose in the air. "I'm glad we got those kids out, but I'm still not sure keeping Icari on board was the best thing to do. I don't want someone on my team who won't think twice about shooting at civilians."

"Give it a rest, Asaga," said Kayto, rolling his eyes. "The only reason those kids got out in one piece was because she gave it a second thought. Icari had her reasons for doing what she did, even if it was misguided. The universe isn't always black and white, Asaga; we have to remember that."

"Well, shooting kids seems pretty darn black to me, Capt'n," said Asaga, not letting the issue drop. "After what she almost did, I'm not sure she deserves to call herself one of the good guys anymore."

"You're on the same crew now, Asaga," admonished Kayto. Cranking up the volume deliberately, he insisted. "You two are to work together. That's an Order!"

Asaga winced, pale, and cupped her ears, "Alright, alright! Jeez. No need to play hardball, Capt'n. She's a good pilot, I'll give her that, so we'll fly just fine. Just don't order us to hold hands or be best friends, OK?"

"Done," agreed Kayto.

"Ugh," Asaga sighed in relief as his voice returned to a subdued level. "What happened to those kids anyways?

"We got a brief update from the Admiral's office this morning. They've reached Alliance space. Since Versta's been occupied by the PACT, those kids are going to be set up in Alliance custody. With all the press surrounding the orphans, you can bet they'll be well taken care of," shared Kayto with a smile.

Asaga gave a genuine smile through her hangover. "All right! I guess that's for the best right now. Let's hurry up and kick the PACT outta the Neutral Rim so those kids can go home!"

"Slow down champ," laughed Kayto. "You might want to sober up a bit first. Anything else you need?"

"Nope," Asaga shook her head and immediately regretted it. " _Sunrider's_ got it all, Capt'n. I got a warm bed and good food and this ship's a whole lot cleaner and nicer than Chigara's workshop, no offense. I just wish the Commander would lay off my case a bit."

"Ah..."

"So I tried hooking up my GameMaster to the holovision in the crew lounge, right? No big deal, but all of a sudden, she shows up and starts yelling about 'unsanctioned electronics' and 'security breaches.' You should've seen how red her face got Capt'n!" Asaga whined. "Then! Chigara and I go back with some folks to play some Duel Creatures, and she's back again! No cards, she says. Man..."

Asaga looked put out to the extreme.

"Listen, Ava needs to keep the _Sunrider_ working at tip-top. She's a military ship and we need the crew to be focused," started Kayto.

"I know!" interrupted Asaga. "But doesn't that mean we should make the most of our downtime?"

"That's right," nodded Kayto. "Which is why I asked Ava to turn a little blind eye to the smaller things, so... just keep it low-key and in your rooms, alright? And give Ava a break, she's got a hundred things to do without playing babysitter."

"You got it, Capt'n!" grinned Asaga. "The Commander won't hear a peep!"

"Great, stay out of trouble," winked Kayto as he rose from the table and continued on his tour of the ship.

* * *

"E-eah! Captain!"

Kayto froze as he walked past Engineering, apparently having inadvertently surprised Chigara once again.

"Uhh... just passing through," he said, bemused by her strong reaction.

Chigara sighed deeply, giving him an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry; I didn't see you behind me. What is this, the third time?"

"You really get focused with your work, don't you?" asked Kayto warmly.

Chigara nodded, "When I work with machines, I just kind of get lost. Everything else fades away and I don't really notice anything anymore."

"Maybe having a mercenary on board put you on edge," Kayto said half-teasingly.

"Mmm... I don't think so," Chigara gave a bright smile. "I haven't spoken to her much since Versta, but I think she regrets what she did. We're on the same side now, so I don't think it will be a problem. I'm just glad those kids got way safely..."

Kayto nodded approvingly; apparently Chigara was a more forgiving spirit than Asaga. "I was actually going to go down to the hanger to see how she was doing; do you need anything?"

"Oh no," Chigara beamed. "I've got everything I need and the _Sunrider's_ been a wonderful vessel. I don't think I've been on anything this advanced since I left Diode. In fact, I was running some energy conversion models yesterday," Chigara's voice grew quicker and more excited as she pulled out her datapad, showing Kayto a mind-boggling series of scrolling numbers and wiggling lines. "I can definitely say that _Sunrider's_ core drive is one of the most efficient in the galaxy! Even better, she's powered by a fusion core, so we don't have to worry about radiation emission. If we were to upgrade our fuel feeders with-" Chigara's blue eyes danced with energy as she looked up at Kayto before quickly being chased away by a look of panic. "O-oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bother you with all the techno-babble," she said quickly, kicking herself for the slip. "You already said you were busy and... I... what were we talking about again? C-can you repeat the question?"

"Paraxium?"

"Huh?" Chigara looked stunned and bewildered.

"You wanted to upgrade the fuel feeders with a paraxium coating to reduce Ongessite reflux right? That would boost our engine speeds significantly. I like it! Next time we're at port, we'll look into it together," said Kayto, nodding decisively.

"Y-you know about the Mark II designs?" stuttered Chigara, her confusion giving way to delight. "I- I had no idea you were a gearhead like me!" her cheeks turned pink as she looked at him with interest.

Kayto laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Always the tone of surprise... Well... I suppose I had to know a thing or two before they gave me the keys to the ship." Handing back her datapad, he gave her a nod, "Keep up the good work, Chigara! We're counting on you."

"Yes Captain!" Chigara's face split into a wide smile. "Please come back sometime!"

* * *

Arriving at _Sunrider's_ hangers, Kayto did not have to look far before he found Icari on the ground floor of bay 03, wrestling with a burned out servomotor on the Phoenix's "foot."

"Captain." Icari gave up on the slagged machinery, wiping her brow and leaning up against the Ryder's sloped foot, barely taller than the foot itself. Unlike Asaga, she seemed entirely unaffected by the evening before.

"You look pretty good in that uniform," Kayto commented, "Especially for someone who downed that many shots last night."

"Oh," Icari's eyebrows arched with the compliment as she looked somewhat self-conscious. "Heh... it'll take more than that to put me down for the next morning. Your crew could learn a thing or two about how to really throw a party, Captain. Those drinks last night were like water compared to some of the stuff I've had on the outskirts of the Rim. Next time we pass by a good bar, I'll let you know."

"Only if you're buying," warned Kayto.

"Hah, it's a deal," Icari gave him a cocky smile. "I'd pay good money to see you drink yourself under the table."

"Looks pretty smashed up," commented Kayto, talking a look at the Phoenix's battered frame and deciding to switch topics. "You sure it's safe for you to fly this thing again?"

Icari smirked, "She's seen worse, Captain, and I'd sooner die than scrap the Phoenix. She'll need more than a few repairs though; Asaga was pretty thorough with taking the hatchet to her."

"You're lucky you didn't get spaced," remarked Kayto. "Asaga might seem like a loose cannon, but she knows how to fly a Ryder."

"Maybe so," admitted Icari. "I'd give myself pretty good odds on a rematch though... on a simulator of course..." Sighing, she looked up at the Phoenix wistfully. "It's actually not as bad as it looks. Most of the damage is superficial now; your girl in engineering came down here and helped me patch up the important bits. I've never seen anyone as talented as her. What would've taken me days to fix took her less than three hours, and I've been doing my own repairs and upgrades on the Phoenix since the day I got her."

"Chigara's probably one of the best engineers in the galaxy. She built the Black Jack and Liberty from scratch. We're lucky to have her on this ship," said Kayto.

Icari nodded, blurting before she could stop herself, "You've got a pretty good crew here, Captain." Eyes widening, she crossed her arms furiously and looked away. "Tsch... I can't believe I said that out loud... This is your fault, Captain!"

"You've just been working alone for too long," jabbed Kayto as Icari's cheeks flushed even redder. "Admit it, you like being part of a bigger crew."

"Did you come down here just to embarrass me? Or did you want something in particular?" demanded Icari, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Just wanted to check in," he said, moving on to placate her. "How are you adjusting to the _Sunrider_?"

"I'm satisfied. _Sunrider's_ much nicer than the accommodations I'm accustomed to, thanks for the concern," answered Icari perfunctorily, shuffling uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

"Tell me about your Ryder," queried Kayto, deciding to switch to a topic she might be more apt to opening up to. "What's the deal with the swords?"

"Phoenix is a stealth Ryder, a custom job," said Icari proudly, "This armor actually uses active electronic camouflage to help me evade enemy targeting systems so that I can get in close with my engines. Once I'm there..." Icari left the rest unsaid.

"You seem to like swords; when we first pulled you on board, you had a whole collection of knives with you," observed Kayto.

Icari nodded, "You don't see a lot of them; they say the advent of firearms long before we came to the stars ended the days when we used swords as weapons, but personal shielding technology brought them back. Now, it makes more sense, at least for me, to kill someone with a sword rather than plug away at their shields with lasers."

"Hmm..." Kayto wasn't entirely sure he agreed.

"I get it," Icari cut in, already ahead of him. "You, like most of the civilized galaxy, think it's barbaric don't you? Well... real life's way different than the clean theory of officer school. Out on the Outer Rim, the person who draws their weapon fastest wins. I don't have to mess around with pulling triggers or anything when I use a knife or sword. Plus, I have to look everyone I kill in the eye before I do it; to me, that's a hell of a lot less barbaric than pulling a trigger and blowing away some poor Joe you've never met."

"Huh..." Kayto was taken aback by her argument. "I guess I never really thought about it that way... Sounds like you've lead a colorful life out there. What was being a mercenary like?"

"Well I wasn't just some goon for hire," she sniffed. "I only took contracts against the PACT. Mostly blowing up refueling stations, sank a few stranded PACT ships before help could arrive. Hit and run, deep cover stuff. Even impersonated a low level Veniczar once."

"This I have to hear," prompted Kayto, intrigued. "You don't exactly have the look for one."

Icari snorted, "I had to order a custom latex suit that made me look about eighty pounds fatter. I've got some holos stored on Phoenix's database; I'll crack 'em out the day we go drinking."

"Wow," snickered Kayto. "I'm guessing it wasn't for cosplay. What were you doing with all that?"

"Slave sale bust," answered Icari, sticking her tongue out at him. "The Alliance hired me to bust a deal that was going down between these slavers and this Veniczar. The PACT was trying out a policy of 'liberating' slaves, see? They'd pay the slavers and the men and women they bought ended up serving on their ships, whether they wanted to or not. Anyways, this was one of the biggest deals that had ever gone down between the PACT and the pirates, around 200 adults. The Alliance got involved when one of their citizens was picked up by the slavers and was included in the sale."

"So... you impersonated the Veniczar, bought 200 slaves, and came home?" asked Kayto skeptically.

"Tsch, wasn't that simple," grunted Icari. "The Alliance got all cheapskate on me saying they 'couldn't fund piracy,' ended up paying for their citizen only. Anyways, it didn't matter in the end because the slavers were planning on a double cross and were going to try to slit the Veniczar's throat anyways."

"I'm guessing you found that out firsthand."

"Sure." Icari's tone was casual as she gave him a sideways smile. "A couple of their shots even ended up grazing my suit. That was a sight to see, a fat Veniczar running and dodging... melting."

"Nice... how'd you get out of that?"

"Switched places with the real Veniczar when she came out of the airlock. You should have seen her face when they grabbed her... priceless. Anyways, the whole point of coming aboard their ship was to override their internal security. By the time I ditched the suit, all the slaves had broken loose already and were rampaging throughout the ship. It was complete pandemonium. I tracked down my mark's implanted ID chip, grabbed him, and hauled ass off that ship." Icari's eyes were distant as she recalled the rest of her tail. "Good thing too, the PACT and the slavers started shooting at each other's ships almost as soon as we had undocked, blew each other to hell."

"The other slaves?" asked Kayto, pointing out the elephant in the room.

Icari shook her head. "My stories aren't pretty ones, Captain. But I got the job done and the galaxy was one PACT Veniczar and ship fewer than when I had started. That was enough for me," Icari shrugged. "That's pretty much what being a mercenary was like. The work was dangerous, but exciting and it paid the bar tab... kept me from thinking too much about anything else..."

"Icari..."

Icari shook her head, pushing away Kayto's sympathy. "It's alright, Captain. I don't regret a moment of it, but... who knows, maybe my luck will change with you calling the shots. This could be good for me."

"Count on it," promised Kayto, although Icari seemed to be talking more to herself at that point than him.

 _Chirp Chirp_. Kayto's bracelet signaled for his attention.

"Captain, incoming transmission in the CIC; we've got more work," came Ava's voice.

"I'll be right there," Kayto said, cutting the call. As he looked back to Icari, the woman was gone, having taken the opportunity to silently slink off. "Good talk, Icari,. Let me know if there's anything else you need," he said out loud, certain she would hear him, before turning and making his way to the CIC.

* * *

"Incoming transmission from Ryuvia, Captain," reported Ava as he stepped into the CIC.

"Ryuvia?" Kayto didn't bother to hide his surprise. "First an Alliance Admiral, now royalty? We are talking about the same Ryuvia right?" he joked.

"You mean the Ryuvia of the ancient Holy Ryuvian Empire? A culture with a history spanning over ten thousand years, possibly the birthplace of humanity itself? Yeah, that one," Ava bit back, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, alright," Kayto grinned; Ava did not suffer fools lightly. "Just making sure; let's hear what they have to say."

A hunched elderly man materialized on the bridge, his royal finery flowing down to the floor. Even through the hologram, the dazzling jewel encrusted robe, scepter, and crown on his person made Kayto squint. "Hail, _Sunrider_." The Ryuvian monarch's voice carried an unmistakable air of superiority, carefully cultivated through years of diplomacy, not so much as addressing him as deigning to speak. "You are in the presence of King Jalor di Ryuvia, sole monarch of the Ryuvian Empire, keeper of the proud traditions of our fathers a hundred generations before us, guardian of their legacy and treasures. I am pleased to hold audience with you."

Once the mightiest human empire ever documented in known history, the Holy Ryuvian Empire stretched from one arm of the galaxy to the other, encompassing countless worlds and subjects. Some said that it was during this time that humanity flourished in a golden age of technology and culture, advancing to dizzying heights of power and accomplishment and surpassing any of the wildest dreams of man. Such was the truth on certain planets, at least. At it's core, the Ryuvian royal family held absolute power, the right to dispense technology to entire worlds theirs and theirs alone. The favor of the Ryuvian Lords could bring wealth and comfort to your people, while their scorn brought fire and destruction. Commanding such power, the Infinite Emperor of Ryuvia ascended being a mere mortal and rising to the level of a God, worshiped across the galaxy at Ryuvian shrines on every single world. The shrines remained to this day, a reminder to the galaxy of the power the Ryuvians once held, preserving the legacy of a distant time long since past.

Despite their absolute dominion over the galaxy, the Holy Ryuvian Empire eventually fractured under the weight of internal strife and a series of selfish, greedy, and shortsighted emperors, plunging the galaxy into a new dark age for centuries to come. Records of this period were scant, majority of the Ryuvian's technology having been lost to the anarchy and chaos that followed the dissolution of the Empire into a hundred warring clans and small time alliances. In the end, the Holy Ryuvian Empire survived in the form of the modern Ryuvian Empire, weakened, but still reigning over a respectable number of worlds and territories surrounding Ryuvia Prime, the capitol of their once great holdings.

Ryuvia would continue to play a major role in galactic politics as they and other powers struggled to reclaim a shadow of their previous accomplishments. Ultimately, what remained of the Ryuvian Empire was eclipsed by the New Empire. Made strong by the discovery of the paradise planet of New Eden and the unification of all nearby worlds, the New Empire soon set its sights on reclaiming the seat of Ryuvia's ancient power, thereby affirming their status as the inheritors of their legacy. The New Empire and Ryuvia fought bitterly, but the decaying and stagnant Ryuvian Empire proved to be no match for the New Empire's onslaught; one by one, their territories were surrendered and Ryuvia found its existence threatened for the first time in remembered history.

Were it not for the intervention of the Solar Alliance, Ryuvia would have likely been overrun as well. The Solar-Imperial War and the internal strife from the PACT revolution saved Ryuvia from conquest, leaving the dying embers of their civilization alight against all odds. The price of survival, however, had been steep; Ryuvia lost its final territory, forced to cede Far Port, a tactical and commercial stronghold that remained Ryuvia's last shred of dignity as an Empire, to the Solar Alliance. Cheated and humiliated as such, Ryuvia could do nothing but accept the circumstance, having no fleets or power of its own to challenge the Solar Alliance's demand.

With nothing left but their pride and traditions, the Ryuvian Empire was a "power" in name only, although their history still commanded a degree of awe and respect in spite of their current situation.

"Greetings, your Highness," Kayto inclined his head courteously. "I am Captain Kayto Shields of the _Sunrider_. This is my First Officer, Commander Ava Crescentia. How can our ship be of service to Ryuvia?"

"Word of your deeds have spread through the Neutral Rim, Captain," King Jalor said solemnly. "The Ryuvian Empire has taken note of your accomplishments and believes your ship may be of service in a matter we hold very dear to our hearts. We seek the return of the Crown Jewel of Ryuvia to its rightful owners. You will track and find this jewel in the Nomodorm Corridor. Perform this service for Ryuvia and I shall see that you are granted an appropriately generous boon."

"We might need more to go on than that, your Highness," said Kayto, frowning slightly at the unusual mission. "Can you tell us anything else about your crown jewel?"

"The Ancient Empire of Ryuvia holds many secrets dear to its chest, Captain. Understand that we are paying not only for your service, but also for your cooperation in this regard," King Jalor said sternly. "You have our request; I look forward to hearing news of your success."

The king's avatar faded as the audience was concluded, leaving Kayto with not so much as a mission as the suggestion of a mission. "Not a lot to go on..." he mused as Ava consulted the ship database.

"Captain, look," Ava pulled a display around from her station to show him. On the screen, a tapered crystal with a description of the artifact was displayed. Apparently Kayto had misunderstood the nature of the Crown Jewel entirely; it wasn't particular gemstone as much as a technological artifact from the ancient Holy Ryuvian Empire itself. "It appears the Crown Jewel wasn't a decorative gemstone, it was the name given to a crystalline device with which the ancient Ryuvians used to pinpoint those of royal descent across astronomical distances. In legends, it features prominently as the means by which dynastic succession was established and as a way of distinguishing imposters from the rightful heirs of the throne."

"So it's real then?" inquired Kayto, reluctant to send the _Sunrider_ on a wild goose chase on the word of childhood stories.

"Apparently the Ryuvian King things so..." Ava looked thoughtful. "It makes sense... word on the holonet is that the Ryuvian Princess is actually missing; she hasn't been seen in public for years now. The Ryuvian royal family hasn't commented on the matter, but if they're sending ships after this artifact, it would make sense. Maybe it can help them find the missing princess."

"It's a stretch..." Kayto thought about the proposal for a moment. "But it's not like we've got any other job waiting and we could definitely use the money. Set a course for the Nomodorm Corridor... we'll take a look around and see if we can pick up any leads once we're there."

"Aye, Captain. Coordinates locked in, spooling up our drives."


	10. Skirmish at Tautenia

The Nomodorm Corridor was one of the many uncharted territories in the outlaying rim of the galaxy. Likely, the region had once been part of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, but, as with so many other things, almost everything had been forgotten about it. A vast nebula primarily composed of infant stars, the Nomodorm Corridor was of relatively low interest for colonization efforts, as most planets were bathed in prohibitive radiation levels. Despite the inhospitable conditions, several dark planets did eke out a living in the unforgiving environment.

Dark planet was a term given to any human planet or outpost which had regressed to a pre-warp society after the fall of the Holy Ryuvian Empire. Many historians pointed to their existence as evidence that the Holy Ryuvian Empire practically fell apart overnight, stranding untold numbers of colonists on underdeveloped words and severing others, dependent on interstellar trade to maintain their standard of living and technology, from all contact. Not every world recovered from those circumstances; abandoned or dead cities were not an uncommon finding on inhospitable worlds. More than one dark planet had been discovered to have given rise to nascent human civilizations that had forgotten entirely that their ancestors once sailed between the stars while others, like Versta, remained locked in perpetual violence, strife, and civil war. Although a number of dark worlds had been relieved with humanitarian aid and had re-established contact with the greater galactic society, the majority were simply too out of the way or unimportant for galactic powers to invest the time and finances required to cultivate a sustainable transition back to the galactic fold.

"Warp complete, Captain. _Sunrider_ has transitioned back to normal space; we've arrived at the Nomodorn Corridor," announced Ava as the main screen activated, showing the crew a bright, crescent shaped nebula dotted with proto-stars as the interstellar gas condensed in the stellar nursery. Out here, the crew was truly in the middle of nowhere, far from anything that could be called civilization, the realm of gamblers, treasure and adventure seekers, and, of course, pirates.

"Any idea where to start?" asked Kayto, looking at the starmap with distaste. King Jalor's idea of a lead did not amount to much as nothing on the map of the corridor announced itself as possible hiding place of one of Ryuvia's greatest treasures. "This is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack..." he muttered, considering calling off the mission entirely. No matter the reward, nothing was worth the possibility of having _Sunrider_ comb through the Nomodorm Corridor systematically.

"Looks like the nearest planet is... Tautenia," said Ava, consulting her own map. "Nothing we would call civilization... they're a dark planet locked in war and unrest. At least it should be safe to take a look; they're barely capable of even leaving the surface according to the last survey logged in the database six years ago. Doesn't seem like their space force poses much of a threat, even if they were to react badly to our presence."

"All right, set a course," agreed Kayto. "Keep our pilots on standby though, I don't want any surprises this time around."

"Aye, Sir..." Ava squinted at a new signal on the scanners. "Scratch that! Detecting multiple pirate signals!

"Red Alert! All hands to battle stations!" ordered Kayto, rubbing his brow. Why couldn't the _Sunrider_ ever go anywhere nice? "Launch our Ryders on the double!"

"Ryders launching!" Asaga's voice called out as the Ryder pilots deployed from _Sunrider_ simultaneously.

"Incoming distress beacon, Captain!" Ava announced. "A civilian ship appears to be requesting assistance."

"A Tautenian ship?" asked Kayto, curious.

"Negative... she's a civilian transport registered with the Alliance. Designation... _Mochi_?" Ava wrinkled her nose in distaste at the cute name.

"Looks like a rescue mission then," remarked Kayto. "Engines all ahead full, put me through to our Ryders! Attention all Ryders, the pirates are targeting a civilian transport, you have permission to engage in rescue operations, weapons free on the pirates."

"Roger that, Capt'n!" Asaga confirmed as wing leader, "We'll keep those civilians safe."

"Captain; our Ryders can go ahead to cover the _Mochi_ , but that will leave the _Sunrider_ vulnerable. What are your orders?" asked Ava.

"Have the Ryders go on ahead, we'll catch up as quickly as we can. The priority is assisting the civilian transport!" ordered Kayto. "Give me an open channel to the civilian ship. Attention civilian ship _Mochi_ , standby for assistance, we are on your six. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to engage the pirates."

On screen, _Sunrider's_ three Ryders opened their throttles, jetting forward in a V formation towards the _Mochi_ , a standard civilian ship that was essentially a rectangular cargo bay with engines and living modules.

"Captain! Telemetry from the Ryders indicates a custom Ryder directing pirate activities; it's the Havok! We're being hailed now," reported Ava.

"Cosette? Fancy that, put her on," Kayto smiled grimly. Although the odds were incredible, it seemed like fate had brought the two for yet another head-on meeting. Now 0-2 against the _Sunrider_ , the pirate leader would undoubtedly be looking for more than just payback.

"Well, well..." Cosette's small frame materialized from her transmission, her eyes alight with barely contained fury. "My favorite Captain. I didn't expect you to come looking for a painful death, but my boys and I would be happy to oblige."

Kayto inclined his head sarcastically. "Our favorite space pirate. Still skimping on the milk?"

"G-gurk!" Cosette's fury broke free, lending her eyes a wild, insane look. "You've interfered with my plans for the last time, Captain. You military pricks always look down on us, but things are different out here in uncharted space. Out here, our word is law. It's time you learned that lesson. KILL HIM!" Cosette screamed the last two words to her forces, simulated spittle flying.

"Captain," Icari's voice was tense, "Civilian transport has been boxed in by enemy Ryders; they're all over it! Requesting permission to break formation and provide immediate assistance!"

Looking at the tactical screen, Kayto could see that she was right; the _Mochi_ was surrounded on all side by pirate craft as they attempted to block its escape and corral it. Directly in front, six Ryders were spread forming a cordon while two pirate destroyers and two escort Ryders flanked the transport from behind. If they didn't move quickly, the pirates would move in for the kill, disabling the transport's engines and limiting their rescue options. "Granted," Kayto said. "Take out the pirate Ryder at two o'clock and fall back into formation; we're going to need flak cover to keep them from picking us off one at a time. Liberty, see what you can do about Havok!"

"Yes Sir! Going dark now!" Icari said as Phoenix activated its sensor scrambling adaptive armor. Thrusters opening wide, the Phoenix flew straight at the pirate Ryder, taking advantage of its difficulty drawing a bead on the stealthed Ryder to get in close. Before anyone could even blink an eye, two long anti-Ryder blades had appeared from the Phoenix's armatures. Too late, the Ryder pirate tried to raise its shield, caught off guard by the melee combat tactics of his opponent. Icari's blades sliced cleanly through the pirate Ryder, delivering two clean thrusts to the pirate Ryder; one blade into its pilot cabin, the other into the Ryder's fusion reactor. It was impossible to say whether the decompression into vacuum or exploding reactor claimed the pirate's life first, but the results were unequivocal. "Enemy Ryder down, reversing thrust," said Icari as the Phoenix pulled a hairpin turn and pulled back slightly as Asaga and the Liberty moved into covering positions on her flank.

"Fire missiles at two o'clock destroyer!" ordered Kayto as Phoenix cleared _Sunrider's_ line of fire.

"Aye Sir, firing solution achieved, Hell Darts away!" answered Ava. "Impacts! Catastrophic damage to enemy ship!"

On the main screen, the stricken pirate destroyer belched fire and atmosphere from a dozen rends in its hull, just barely holding itself together.

"I got this!" Asaga chimed in. "Weapons free!"

Pumping away with her pulse lasers, Asaga finished off the destroyer, her lasers stripping away what was left of the ship's hull integrity and cutting it into pieces. Pivoting, Black Jack turned its guns on the other flank, landing a few potshots on the unsuspecting pirate Ryder.

Taking Cosette's orders to heart, the remaining pirates mustered an enthusiastic counterattack, opening fire with two missile salvos from heavily modified surplus bomber Ryders. Havok, however, had notably fallen silent, drifting in space, disabled by Chigara's electronic warfare.

"Evasive maneuvers!" warned Kayto as the missiles streaked towards the Phoenix. To make matters worse, all three remaining pirate infantry Ryders opened fire with their laser rifles, intending to catch the Phoenix in a deadly crossfire of laser fire and missile bombardment; surprisingly complex coordination for your run-of-the-mill pirate group.

"Watch and learn!" Icari's voice came over the comm channel, cocky. Phoenix tumbled to the side, spinning as her pilot locked her into a dizzying barrel roll. Taking full advantage of her unbelievable thrust power and maneuverability as well as the Phoenix's light frame, Icari pushed her Ryder to its limits, one moment accelerating, the next shooting off in a completely different vector. The gee-forces on board her Ryder must have been torturous, but Icari did not so much as grunt as the Phoenix engaged in a series of punishing stunts neither Kayto nor any of the other Ryder pilots or crew had ever seen a sane pilot attempt.

"Holy Ryuvia..." muttered Kayto. " _Sunrider,_ cover our Ryders. Engines ahead full, fire at pirate destroyer with our Saviors!"

 _Sunrider_ bulled forward, bringing up the rear of its Ryder formation, before letting loose with her deck guns, pounding the remaining pirate destroyer within an inch of its life as it took a wild shot at the Phoenix with its own deck guns, missing miserably.

"OK, she's got some skill," muttered Asaga grudgingly as Icari's Ryder looped back into formation, having dodged simultaneous fire from five separate pirate Ryders and a ship without so much as a scratch on Phoenix's yellow paint. Perhaps in a show of competition, Black Jack took advantage of the distraction Phoenix was causing to nail one of the pirate infantry Ryders forming the cordon in front of the _Mochi_ with pulsed laser fire, killing it with two well aimed bursts.

"I'm not done yet!" Icari's voice was somewhat breathless as she recovered from the impressive acrobatics. In a perfect position to fire, the Phoenix let loose with both of the double barreled autocannons mounted onto each armature, sending a stream of automatic fire rattling towards the remaining pirate Ryder. The green Ryder shook wildly as bullets punched through its damaged frame. On fire, the Ryder spiraled out of control before slamming into the crippled destroyer, finishing the job _Sunrider_ had started.

Kayto looked at the tactical screen pleased with their progress. Together, the Ryder pilots and _Sunrider_ had completely overwhelmed the pirate's flanks, freeing the _Mochi_. All that remained was to advance against the woefully outclassed pirate Ryders, practically helpless with the Havok crippled, and end the skirmish.

"...-ot so fast!" Cosette's avatar re-appeared, garbled and distorted through the seizure her Ryder's electronic systems were having as though she could read his thoughts. "It's not going to be that easy, Captain. We've got our friends from the PACT here today!"

"Alert!" Ava cried, "Multiple PACT signatures incoming; they have us surrounded!"

The blood red hulls of PACT ships and Ryders appeared on their screen as the PACT reinforcements entered sensor range of the _Sunrider_ , boxing in their formation. Two missile cruisers drifted forward, one on each flank, each accompanied by one infantry and one bomber class Ryder and pointing their missile tubes towards the _Sunrider_ menacingly. Behind the Havok, two additional PACT cruisers accelerated into the AO, guns charged.

"Working for those scumbags now?" Kayto glared at Cosette. "It figures, they say birds of a feather flock together."

"BWAHAHAHA!" a blubbering laugh come over the open communications channel. Unappetizing smacking sounds followed as a potbellied man with thinning orange hair and a matching orange mustache appeared, wiping his fingers on the elaborate robe that designated his status as a Veniczar. Smearing sauce and grease on the tightly stretched garment, the Veniczar peered at Kayto's image with small, watery blue eyes with distaste, his jowls and dewlap bumping each other has he sneered. "What have we here? Ignorant peasant; watch your tone in the presence of the mighty Veniczar B. Cullen! My glorious fleets and I are here to bring enlightenment to vermin like you and unite your poverty-stricken worlds under the glory of the PACT empire. Rejoice, for you will bear witness to our New Galactic Order!"

"You know, that all sounded great up until the part where the PACT decided to bombard millions of civilians from space," spat Kayto. "Where does that fit in with your unification plan?"

"Bah!" Cullen, waved his hand dismissively. "A wretched Neutral Rim worm like you would never understand the necessities of war. I tire of your drivel; prepare to be put down by my forces, dog."

"So much for Common Treatment," he remarked to Ava with half a smile as she groaned at his attempt at humor. "Looks like Veniczar Porkchops means business..." Studying the tactical screen grimly, Kayto had no choice but to consider a tactical retreat; the PACT ships had the advantage of both position and firepower. If _Sunrider_ could break out, however, they might be able to clear a path for the _Mochi_ and perform an emergency jump as well.

"Captain!" Ava's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I'm detecting a power surge on the _Mochi_! Something's going on..."

Warily, Kayto eyed the _Mochi_ on screen. Emboldened by their PACT reinforcements, the pirates began to let loose with their laser rifles, scoring deep rends in the thinly armored vessel. At the same time, _Mochi's_ main cargo bay opened revealing...

"Is that... a _pink_ Ryder?" Kayto wondered out loud as the main screen magnified. "Patch me through to it."

Bubble gum pink with a monocular head, one of the strangest Ryders any of them had ever seen launched itself free of the _Mochi_ before the entire ship blew up from a lucky pirate laser hit. The unusual Ryder ambled forward, apparently unconcerned over the loss of its mother ship. Its frame was clearly a custom job, paint aside; supplementary solar panels on its shoulders augmented its power supply and a large antenna stuck out of its back. For weapons, the Ryder appeared to have some kind of kinetic slug launcher on its right armature and a highly unusual device with no obvious discernible function on its left, presumably also a weapon of some sort.

"This is Captain Kayto Shields of the _Sunrider_ speaking to unidentified Alliance Ryder. State your intentions."

"Oohh, Captain~" a dreamy, almost vague, voice drifted over the communications channel as the speaker resolved on deck. A woman with long pink hair and violet eyes appeared, twirling a lock of her fair hair between her fingers happily. Wearing a Ryder suit of the same shade of pink as her Ryder, she struck a girlish pose and winked at him much to Ava's displeasure. "Claude Triello. I was delivering medical supplies to Tautenia when I got attacked by those pirates. I think I could use a hand with them..."

Kayto nodded seriously. The additional Ryder would, possibly, just barely even the odds with the PACT reinforcements. "Copy that, Ms. Triello," he said as Claude giggled flirtatiously, grossly at odds with the seriousness of their situation. _"Sunrider_ is at your service. Let's get those bogies off of you."

"Thank you, Captain~!" gushed Claude in a sing-song voice. "Bianca firing... oops!" Claude's Ryder, Bianca, pointed the gun on its right armature at the nearest pirate Ryder, letting loose with a blast from the scatter gun. Multiple kinetic pellets fired from the muzzle, shredding the Ryder's thin frame and hitting everything but the pilot compartment or reactor. Ava dropped her face into her hands as Bianca flew backwards, tumbling end over end from the recoil. "Looks like I forgot to turn on the auto-compensatory thrusters," Claude said, turning green as she stopped the tumble, ending up "upside-down" relative to the _Sunrider_ and the other Ryders. Although the lack of "up" or "down" in space meant pilots had no reason to orient on any particular plane, millions of years of evolution on a planet's surface had left humanity with a strong bias to default to a standard frame of reference while piloting in space.

"Ryders, give the pink Ryder covering fire! _Sunrider_ will take out some of the PACT's missile launchers at extreme range." ordered Kayto. As Phoenix and Black Jack poured fire into the remaining pirates with Liberty continuing to subvert the Havok, _Sunrider_ fired her Saviors at range, bombarding the nearest PACT missile frigate and a nearby PACT bomber. Capable of launching swarms of seeking, self-guided missiles at extreme ranges, their destruction was a priority before _Sunrider_ and her Ryders were penned in from all sides to avoid any overwhelming assault on their flak defenses. The kinetic slugs streaked forward, on target, slamming into both targets with satisfying explosions. Although they made for small targets, both the PACT frigate and bomber were lightly armored and filled with explosives; an unhealthy combination for even a single Savior slug to discover.

Zipping forward, the Phoenix's stealth systems activated, allowing it to close in and deliver two deadly strikes to one of the depleted pirate bombers, cleaving the Ryder cleanly into three pieces. The remaining pirate bomber panicked, pushing its engines into full retreat as it made for a beeline towards the advancing PACT cruisers. Rather than risking a pursuit that would open her to fire from the PACT cruisers, Icari throttled back, narrowly avoiding a missile as it flew over the Phoenix's shoulder.

"Shit!" Icari threw the Phoenix into a reflexive dive, pulling up harshly, gritting her teeth and bracing her abs as she pulled out with a hairpin turn, the punishing gee-force of the acceleration making the Phoenix's frame groan slightly. Additional missiles from the PACT frigate and its bomber escort streaked past her Ryder harmlessly, unable to keep up with the Phoenix's maneuvers. For every missile dodged, however, another two seemed to join the fray. A bead of sweat trickled down Icari's temple as she continued to twist and dodge.

"Icari! We're on your six!" shouted Kayto, seeing the Phoenix's plight. "Come back at us; we'll provide cover fire!"

"Copy that," Icari's voice was cold and brittle. The Phoenix rocketed towards _Sunrider_ and Black Jack, pelting between the two as a dozen missiles tailed her brilliant exhaust trail.

"Fire flak cannons!"

 _Sunrider_ and Black Jack opened fire with their point defense guns, trapping the missile volley in a cross fire of flak rounds, shredding and detonating them harmlessly.

"Sensors read clear," reported Ava, "All missiles neutralized!"

"Tsch... I could have handled it... Thanks for the assist anyways," Icari said dismissively over the comms.

"You could return the favor by handling our right flank," answered Kayto. "Keep those PACT Ryders off us, _Sunrider_ will take out the last missile frigate. Black Jack, I want the left flank neutralized."

"Acknowledged, Captain."

Phoenix and Black Jack took off in opposite directions, their formation scattering. Black Jack leveled its machine gun at a PACT infantry Ryder that was the sole survivor of the forces sent to box in the _Sunrider_ from the left. The Ryder went down in a hailstorm of bullets and laser fire, but managed to let loose with a burst from its own laser rifle, scoring damage to _Sunrider's_ external armor before being put down permanently. On the right, the Phoenix streaked past the accelerating _Sunrider_ , aiming straight for the PACT infantry Ryder closest to it. The PACT pilot panicked, having seen what the Phoenix's blades could do at close range. Firing wildly, the PACT infantry Ryder discharged its laser rifle at maximum recycle rate, missing the Phoenix twice before it flashed past, cleaving the PACT Ryder asunder without even looking back.

"Fire Saviors!" Kayto ordered as the _Sunrider_ found range on the missile frigate. On screen, the smaller ship took a slug to its prow from the side, spinning the tiny frigate like a toy in a bathtub. The rotational stress proved too much for its fragile hull, literally spinning the ship apart, although it's crew had likely been pulped against the walls of their own ship before atmosphere was ever compromised.

"Energy spike from PACT cruisers detected, Captain!" cried Ava, "They're firing!"

"Hard to port!" barked Kayto.

 _Sunrider's_ CIC pitched, knocking everyone into their right armrest as the massive ship fired lateral starboard thrusters. Anti-ship lasers from the PACT cruisers licked past _Sunrider's_ hull, narrowly grazing the ship, but failing to inflict any damage as they streaked on harmlessly into the night of space.

Phoenix, however, was not quite as fortunate. Apparently having exhausted her luck, Icari's Ryder took a laser rifle burst straight to its right "wing," the delicate thruster and maneuvering device deforming and melting under the laser fire. "You'll pay for that!" screamed Icari, incensed as she switched to primary drives only, reducing the Phoenix's dodging capabilities, but stabilizing the wounded machine. As the PACT bomber's laser rifle tried to cool desperately, the Phoenix used its available thrusters to close distance, exacting a punishing and personal revenge for the damage inflicted. Delivering two cuts and severing the PACT bomber's arms, Icari's Ryder proceeded to lop off system after system, the stricken PACT Ryder unable to do much more than flail under her assault. With a final stroke, she stabbed the miraculously intact fusion core, breaking containment and turning the enemy Ryder into an exploding ball of plasma before its pilot could even complete their eject sequence.

"Icari! Are you-"

"Worry about yourself!" Icari's nettled voice barely covering the sound of her tooth gnashing as Phoenix rejoined their formation.

Smirking, Kayto shook his head without rancor. "OK, people, let's wrap this up. Target lead PACT cruiser, fire Saviors at will."

Either it was due to a lack in their commanding officers' experience or a mark of the PACT's willingness to sacrifice any number of ships to their goal, but the two remaining PACT cruisers accelerated towards the _Sunrider_ , determined to land a shot the second time. Savior slugs punched through the lead cruiser's armor, mortally wounding the ship before Black Jack finished her off with a burst from its assault cannons.

Heedless, the final PACT cruiser shoved past its dying sister ship's flaming hull, lateral laser banks alight with fury. Additional Savior slugs landed on her hull, their precision even more deadly having refined their firing solutions from the last two salvos.

"I got this one Captain," Claude's dreamy voice drifted over their battlenet. The scatter gun on her Ryder pumping a new shell into its chamber, Bianca pointed her ridiculous pink shotgun at the last PACT cruiser. Fire flashed from the cut down muzzle of Claude's Ryder, blasting gaping wounds into the PACT cruiser and dispatching it ignominiously.

"Let's take the Havok out!" shouted Asaga, pushing the Black Jack forward as fast as it would go and letting loose with her missiles.

"Got it!" answered Icari, manuevering the Phoenix so as to attack the Havok with a pincer formation with Black Jack.

Black Jack's missiles smashed into the Havok, shearing through armored plate and physically crippling the stricken Ryder, still virtually shut down from Chigara's electronic interference.

In her cockpit, Cosette screamed and pounded her non-responsive controls with all the fury of a cornered animal. "DAMN IT!" Multiple screens began flashing red error alerts as Phoenix's blades began hacking into the Havok. "Cosette Cosmos, authentication ID Whiskey Nine-Nine, shut down all automated systems, override all safeties, give me full analog and manual!" she screamed. The Havok complied, shutting down all electronic Ryder assistance and granting its pilot full manual analog control over its crippled systems. Ordinarily, such a move would be suicidal, a human pilot only being able to control the Ryder clumsily without the myriad of electronic subsystems handling the fickle details of Ryder control and propulsion. With her Ryder's computers completely overridden by Chigara's corrupting code, however, her only choice for survival, like on so many other occasions, was a near suicidal gamble. Alarms blaring, Cosette hit the Havok's remaining thrusters, giving thanks that the machine's one true advantage against other Ryders was its ridiculously redundant and hardened systems, emblematic of the harsh reality of pirate life. Overruling any reasonable safety concern and pushing the Havok's drive beyond red-line, she turned tail and gunned towards the safety of darkness, leaving _Sunrider_ and her Ryders behind.

"Your days are numbered, Captain... just you wait," she growled as a parting shot. "Now that the PACT has beef against you, you'll never escape what you deserve, and I'll be there on that day to see it done..."

"This is Phoenix, laying in pursuit course!" called in Icari.

"Negative!" Kayto overruled her. "You're already at maximum operational range; if you go after her, you won't have the fuel to get back. We have no idea if there's anyone out there waiting to ambush a Ryder out of gas."

"But, Captain!" Icari protested.

"That's an order, Icari," Kayto sternly reinforced. "Let her go and return to home base."

"Roger that..." Icari sighed, remembering her pledge and acquiescing. Lingering for a moment and staring at the retreating flame of the Havok, Icari pulled her Ryder about and pushed off towards the welcoming lights of _Sunrider_. "Phoenix, returning to base."

"Interesting..." Ava turned to Kayto in surprise, some distant relative of respect in her eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day you laid down the law in our little dysfunctional family."

"A mother and father should share parenting responsibilities," joked Kayto self-righteously. "A dysfunctional family, huh? I kind of like that."

Ava's cheeks turned a little pink, "W-well hold onto your judgment for now. Looks like we've picked ourselves up another stray... The pink Ryder seems to be inviting herself on board; she's locked in on an approach vector with the rest of our Ryders."

"That's fine, give her docking permission," Kayto said, overlooking the lapse in standard protocol or courtesy. "Maybe let the autopilot handle it..." he added, remembering Claude's disastrous initial attempt at piloting and firing her Ryder's weapons.

"Acknowledged, Captain," answered Ava. "Incoming transmission; it's the PACT."

"Ahh... the good Veniczar. Let's hear what he has to say."

"You fools!" bellowed the Veniczar, clearly unaware he was already on open comms. "How could you let yourselves be defeated by a single ship? We had those peasants outnumbered three to one!"

"Hardly the gracious behavior of a commanding officer," pointed out Kayto scathingly. "It's no wonder your forces fight without vigor if you raise their morale like that on a regular basis. You might want to think about that next time we meet, Veniczar Porkchops."

"You!" Veniczar Cullen's face turned a livid purple as he faced Kayto. "I-I will not stand to be mocked and insulted like that! Mark my words! You will regret crossing the path of Veniczar B. Cullen, Captain. The next time we meet, you will know your place." Giving one last hiss and heaving his bulk back to his command chair, he spoke to his own bridge crew. "Spool up our drives and get us out of this pathetic barbarian pit... and cut the damn communications channel!"

Leaning back in his Captain's seat, Kayto gave Ava a manic grin as she shook her head, resigned. "Confirming multiple warp signatures at edge of sensor range; all enemy forces falling back. Captain, why do you have to make mortal enemies out of everyone we meet?"

"I guess it's just my winning personality. Come on," Kayto hopped up and motioned for her to join. "Let's go meet our uninvited guest..."


	11. Claude

**So this chapter was a huge amount of fun for me to write. As a 4th year medical student, just trying to see how unprofessional things could get with Claude was an exercise in hilarity for me. Anyhow, I hope everyone enjoys. I'm going to keep it rated T for now, but if a moderator disagrees, I'll happily upgrade it to an M rating.**

* * *

"Pwahh... that was close," Claude announced as she stepped off her lift onto the hanger catwalk. The other pilots' looks of curiosity faded as she took a matching pink pocket mirror out of her Ryder armor, opening it and immediately beginning to primp her hair and admire her reflection. "I almost got a little sweaty there for a moment... how's my complexion?"

Not bothering to wait for an answer, she began touching up her make up, completely failing to notice the other pilots' increasingly unimpressed glares.

"Welcome aboard the _Sunrider_ ," called out Kayto as he stepped off the lift, striding towards the pink pilot, equally oblivious to the disapproval of his other pilots. Behind him, Ava immediately crossed her arms and walked over to the others, joining their line up and mimicking their poses pointedly. "I'm Captain Kayto Shields," Kayto saluted.

"Hmm?" Claude continued to apply make up for a moment before Kayto's presence distracted her gaze. "Oh, Ooooaaahhhh..."

Fumbling slightly, she blushed and snapped the pocket mirror shut, returning it to a slot on her thigh where a sidearm would have normally clipped. Evidently, the woman's priorities were clear.

"C-captain..." she said breathlessly, eyes enraptured on him and jaw slightly slack. "My captain... in shining armor..." Unseen to everyone else present, a parade of well toned men in all manner of unlikely and revealing "military" dress danced across her field of vision, substituting under Kayto's head each in turn, fulfilling Claude's personal definition of "Hot Buffet."

"Uhh... sorry, didn't catch the last bit there," said Kayto genuinely. "Shining what?"

The other pilots and Ava diverted their gazes, exasperated, unsure if it was worse that Kayto was completely oblivious to all things women or that someone as empty-headed as Claude appeared to be had clawed her way aboard, in a pink Ryder no less.

"Oh uhh... never mind that.." answered Claude vaguely as she wiped the corner of her mouth. "O-oh my... you're much more handsome than you looked on my monitor..."

"Umm... thanks?" Kayto smiled awkwardly and rubbed his neck, perhaps unconsciously sensing the four pairs of eyes searing glares into the back of his head. "You look pretty good, yourself," he offered innocently, looking her over casually. Despite the unusual pink Ryder armor, it was clear that Claude was not a woman who had ever struggled with image problems. Tall and lithe with not-insubstantial cleavage, her body seemed to qualify her more as a fashion or swimsuit model as opposed to a Ryder pilot. With fine cheekbones and delicate features, her face was also well-balanced, although ruined slightly by her absent and vague facial expression. The entire package was framed with her thick, luscious pink hair which fell to her waist in almost liquid, shining tumbles, undoubtedly the product of hours of shampooing and hair blowing with an array of hair care products that neared Chigara's toolkit in complexity and diversity.

"Oh, oh my," Claude giggled happily. "It's a little too early to flirt with the damsel in distress, Captain, especially with all these other women in the hanger. Perhaps somewhere more private toni-"

"Arggghhh!" Ava could hold herself back no longer. "Just get to business already, Captain!" she demanded in a strangled voice that threatened divine punishment if he failed to comply.

"I guess the Captain likes her..." whispered Chigara jealously. "Both of her... wow... they must be D's or something..."

"Shh!" Asaga shushed her with a conspiratorial wink. "Maybe it's a form of special interrogation."

"Not any interrogation I've ever seen," shot back Icari under her breath. "If anyone's going to be doing interrogating, it's Ava... she sounds like she's practically ready to bust out some chains and a whip on the Captain's ass."

"SHUT UP." Ava's face turned alarmingly red as she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

"Hey, hey," Kayto raised his hands defensively, having completely missed the end of Claude's offer and the entire exchange. "Just a little banter to lighten up the mood... Anyways, what were you doing all the way out here? Didn't you know this entire region of space is crawling with pirates?" he asked Claude.

"I was just delivering medical supplies as part of a relief mission to Tautenia when I was stopped by the pirates. Medicine and medical equipment fetch quite the price on the black market out here. I imagine I would have been killed if it were not for your timely rescue," explained Claude happily, not sounding the least bit upset at the turn of events. "It looks like I'm in your debt now, Captain."

"You don't exactly strike me as the freighter pilot type..." observed Kayto.

"Oh no," Claude gave a high pitched, girlish giggle that made the other women cringe. "I'm a doctor."

Nearly everyone in the room felt the floor drop out from underneath them. That woman... a doctor? Ava, Icari, Asaga, and Chigara all stared at Claude with varying states of disbelief as she gave everyone a dazzling smile.

"Oh," Kayto recovered first. "O-of course you are! Well that explains everything... except the Ryder piloting part."

"You pick up odd skills like that if you work in the Neutral Rim too long," replied Claude dismissively, waving her hand with disinterest. "My work often calls me to underprivileged planets."

"How did you come by the Ryder?" Kayto asked, interested. "It looks like a custom job..."

"It was a gift!" Claude smiled fondly at her pink Ryder. "From the big-hearted but primitive folk of Onislar for the medical supplies, expertise, and technology I brought to their world."

"Primitive?" Kayto frowned, uncomprehending. "How did they manage to build you a Ryder then?"

"Oh, they didn't build it," giggled Claude, a little mischievously this time. "I don't even think they knew what it was. Bianca was pretty beat up when they gave it to me. They said it came down from the sky just like I did. Maybe it was an experimental Ryder someone lost control of or maybe someone just threw it out, who knows? Either way, I took it with me when I left and got it fixed up and painted my favorite color! Ever since, I've been learning to fly it on my spare time!"

"I see... well, we were glad to be of assistance, doctor. We'd be glad to give you a ride back to Tautenian orbit; you can take a shuttle down to the surface once we get there," Kayto offered, not entirely convinced with her explanation, but willing to let it slide for the moment.

"Oh no, Captain!" Claude shook her head vigorously and began running her hands through her hair with nervous energy. "I couldn't possibly leave without repaying my debt to you and your crew! Not to mention... leaving before... benefits... uhhh..." Claude's last sentence drifted into incoherence as she drooled slightly.

"Didn't catch that last part again," frowned Kayto, leaning forward slightly.

"Uhh," Claude wiped her lips quickly. "I meant to say 'not to mention that my freighter's been destroyed now.' How could I possibly help the Tautenians without my supplies? I'd have to return to Alliance Space and get more funding before I could resume my mission... say... I don't suppose you'd need a doctor on this ship," Claude offered shamelessly. "I would be happy to take care of you... and your crew, of course... as repayment for my debt and passage."

"Actually..." Kayto's tone quickened excitedly as he considered the proposal. "We do... _Sunrider's_ sickbay has been offline since we had to leave before they could transfer a physician on board. Our sickbay's been dark ever since we left Cera."

"Well!" Claude's tone was triumphant. "That simply will not do, Captain. Your crew is even more under-served than the Tautenians! Doctor Triello, at your service, Captain!"

"Wow, talk about luck!" Kayto turned happily towards Ava. "Hey Ava! We've finally got ourselves a ship doctor!"

"Oh Captain!" Claude gushed, grabbing hold of Kayto's arm. "I'm so glad we could meet like this!"

"It's our pleasure, doctor," said Kayto graciously, untangling himself from her while trying not to be impolite. "To be honest, I've been getting worried about the sickbay and the crew..."

"Something's not right here..." muttered Icari through closed lips. "I know we're not supposed to judge books by their covers but... her?!"

"Unbelievable..." sighed Ava undertone. "He's just completely eating out of her hand... and that's probably the way Ms. Doe Eyes likes it..."

"Huh... looks like you might have quite a formidable rival here Chigara... but I think the Captain still prefers brains... or at least not the complete lack thereof," observed Asaga, confiding to Chigara.

"E-eh? Eeehh!" Chigara gave a start, clapping a hand over her mouth as she involuntarily let loose with a surprised squeak. "R-rival!? Asaga! Shhh!"

"All right people," Kayto clapped his hands and turned to the rest, who quickly cut their side conversations short. "Great job out there, take a break, you deserve it. Ava, could you show the doctor to our sickbay first?"

"Yes, Sir!" Ava answered stiffly. "You heard the Captain! Clear the deck!" she barked at the other pilots, scattering them. "You... come with me." Ava gestured at Claude who happily pranced towards her.

"Ta, ta, Captain! I'll see you soon for your check up!" Claude blew a kiss in his direction as an ominous tick formed over Ava's temple once again.

* * *

"Captain. A word with you." Ava strode into the CIC at the end of Kayto's shift, her expression grave.

"Is there a problem?"

"Possibly." Ava drew up next to him, talking quietly to avoid being overheard.

"Has there been a problem getting the doctor set up?" asked Kayto.

"Not at all," Ava replied. "She's already gotten to work, seems like her patients were really satisfied; I've never seen the crew so eager to get routine medical screening... there was practically a line coming out of her office earlier."

"They're just happy we've finally got a doctor," said Kayto with a smile. "I'm glad they're taking ship health so seriously. Anyways, so what's the problem then?"

"I've been doing some digging into our new doctor's background, routine personnel screening. The problem is... I can't find her license in the Alliance Medical Association's database," Ava's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she related the information.

"That's unusual, but not unheard of," Kayto pointed out. "Maybe she's licensed through a different accrediting body?"

"Possibly, although the AMA is the largest and most well-respected authority for medical licensing. A lot of Neutral Rim planets have their own accrediting bodies. She would have needed to been licensed through one of the smaller groups because I can't seem to find her in any of the major neutral medical license databases either," said Ava her skepticism rising.

"Weird..." Kayto shrugged. "Well, keep up the search, Ava. She's got to be licensed by someone."

"That's one option," Ava said bluntly, making no doubt as to what she thought was the alternative explanation.

"Hey now..." Kayto spoke with a tone of surprise. "You don't think she's lying do you? Do you?!"

Ava crossed her arms and gave him an unimpressed look, half a glare in its own right. "Why don't you save us a whole lot of trouble and just ask her, Captain?"

"I suppose... Sure, I'll do it," agreed Kayto. "I guess... I'll just... go. Now."

Ava's facial expression did not budge an inch, although she allowed one eyebrow to cock upwards, as though asking him why he was still in the CIC. Clearly, nothing about the conversation had ever been a request.

"I... should go," Kayto bumbled. "You have the CIC, Commander."

* * *

"U-umm..." Chigara poked her head into the sickbay. "Did you want to see me, doctor?"

"Ahh, yes! Come in, come right in and have a seat!" called Claude as Chigara entered.

"What did you- E-eeaagh!" Chigara yelped in surprise as the sickbay doors closed and she walked into one of the exam berths where Claude was getting ready.

The pink haired pilot had changed from Ryder armor into her medical uniform, although the term implied a certain degree of modesty. What she had actually chosen to wear was something else entirely. Tight and revealing, the uniform looked like she had acquired it at a night club rather than a medical supply store. A white cut-away halter top opened revealingly, allowing her ample cleavage to stand proudly from her chest, and tapered down over her slim waist, just barely touching a white miniskirt with a slit that left nothing to the imagination. Her long, slender legs were bare, finishing with a set of matching white high heels. If it were not for the red medical cross on a matching nurse's hat on top of her head, the entire ensemble might have been mistaken entirely.

"W-what are you wearing!?" demanded Chigara, sinking onto the exam table, legs weak.

"Standard medical attire," dismissed Claude shamelessly. "Don't worry about it." Heels clicking, she walked until she was practically looming over her stunned patient. "Just relax, it's just going to be a standard medical exam."

"U-uh... OK..." Chigara gulped.

"So..." Claude stared into Chigara's eyes. "What's your relation with the Captain?"

"E-eh?!" Chigara stuttered in surprise.

"Hugs, kisses? Holding hands? Slept together? How many times? Or are you just friends?" Claude asked, rapid fire, not letting Chigara answer.

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MY HEALTH!?" screamed Chigara, tomato red.

"Just answer the questions," admonished Claude sternly. "Oh well, it's no use. I can see already you're a difficult patient. We'll just skip the interview for now, and move on shall we?"

"F-fine..." Chigara said, ashen-faced.

"OK then... take off your clothes," instructed Claude.

"W-what!?" yelped Chigara.

"I need to do a physical exam, checking body proportions and all," said Claude, rolling her eyes. "Come on, don't be shy, we're all women here! Take off your clothes!"

"F-forget it!" Chigara blushed even deeper, although she gave Claude a defiant glare. "My proportions are fine, thank you! What kind of doctor did you say you were again?"

"Patient reticent and uncooperative," said Claude in a stage whisper, jotting on her patient chart. "Refused physical exam. May I see your ID to confirm your service number? I need it to record that you deferred the exam for medical-legal reasons," she said stiffly.

"H-here..." Chigara gave Claude her ID badge, somewhat relieved, but also thrown by the sudden professionalism.

"OK..." Claude tapped the stylus on her holo decisively. "Time for your gynecological exam!"

Chigara turned pale, the blood draining out of her face at the prospect.

"I've got a speculum somewhere here..." muttered Claude, bending over to check in her desk, flashing Chigara with her panties not-so-inadvertently.

"E-eah!" Chigara hopped up from the table and bolted for the door as Claude had her back turned to her. Without a backwards glance, she slapped the sickbay door controls and ran out, almost headfirst into Kayto.

"C-captain!" Chigara swallowed her panic and tried to appear as normal as possible.

"Chigara?" Kayto gave her a pale, sweaty visage a look of concern. "What's the matter? You don't look so good..."

"O-oh!" Chigara waved her hands with agitation. "I-it's nothing! Captain! I was just here for my... medical exam..."

"I see," Kayto gave her a reassuring smile. "It's good that you came to get checked out; disease can spread quickly on a starship with all the different places we dock with and we've been without a doctor for so long..."

"O-oh, yes... checked..." Chigara said, giving a high-pitched and unnatural giggle. "I... I'll see you later, Captain!"

"OK..." said Kayto slowly as his Chief Engineer fled. " _I wonder what that was all about?"_ he thought.

Walking into the _Sunrider's_ sickbay, Kayto examined the stark and white circular room with recessed lighting. A holographic fish tank and various water features made the waiting room a peaceful, tranquil place, _Sunrider's_ designers taking pains to create an atmosphere where patients could feel at ease. Several recessed doors led to various other exam rooms, sickbeds, and even a small operating theater, fulfilling any emergent need for medical attention that the crew might encounter.

"Doctor Triello?"

"O-oh!" Claude's voice drifted out of an exam room. "Captain! I've been waiting for you, please, come in!"

Kayto walked into the exam room, the door hissing shut behind him as his eyes fell on Claude's uniform.

"What _the_?!" Kayto jumped back in shock, banging painfully into the door behind him. "D-doctor?"

"Relax, Captain," giggled Claude, grabbing his hand and pulling him in. Forcefully, she shoved her dazed patient onto the exam table. "Standard medical uniform, that's all."

"On which planet?" demanded Kayto, suddenly having a suspicious theory as to why the crew seemed so eager to complete their routine health screening.

"Come, come, Captain," Claude pouted. "That's hardly the way to start a trusting doctor-patient relationship! Or is there some ordinance about doctors not being allowed to wear their professional attire on a military ship?"

"Uhh..." Kayto's eyebrows almost disappeared past his hairline as he regarded Claude's idea of "professional" dress. "I'm not certain, you'll have to check with Ava on that one."

"Well, let's get started then," Claude said, clapping her hands together. "So many patients... I heard this ship's been without a physician for more than a month since your initial departure! As I said, that simply will not do!"

"I wouldn't say there was much of a choice," Kayto said defensively. "Between not having a doctor and getting blown up by the PACT, it seemed like the right thing to do for crew health."

"We'll have to fix this right now; first I'll need you to take off your shirt," said Claude, her eyes becoming glazed as she reached out to unbutton Kayto's uniform.

"Uhh... I can manage myself, thanks," said Kayto quickly, hastening to undo his own uniform before she could reach him.

"O-oohh..." Claude stepped almost uncomfortably close as she stared at Kayto's chest and abdominals. "Not body builder material, but not shabby either... lean and tight..." she muttered to herself, some saliva starting to pool at the corners of her lips.

"Something the matter, doctor?" queried Kayto. "You're looking at me pretty intensely..."

"No, no... nothing's the matter at all," answered Claude slowly and absently. "But I should do a physical exam just in case... let me just..." Reaching out suddenly, she laid hands on his bare skin, rubbing up and down his chest and ribs with only the barest pretense of palpating for anything even near an organ. "Ooohhh... oh my..."

"That doesn't sound good..." Kayto said uncomfortably.

"No, no... it's good... very good..." Claude backed up slightly, mouth slightly agape as she panted softly. "Now... now it's time for you to take off your trousers... Captain..."

"Uhh... is that really necessary?" asked Kayto skeptically.

"YOUR PANTS! NOW!" demanded Claude excitedly as Kayto unwillingly acquiesced, stripping down to a pair of boxer briefs. "Oooohhhh..."

"Oh what?"

"Uhh... oh, why did you stop there? I mean," Claude's eyes bulged eagerly. "Haven't you ever had a medical exam, Captain? The underwear too!"

"I don't-"

"Doctor's orders! Captain, I'm just a trained professional doing her job; it's nothing to be shy about," Claude insisted in a moment of lucidity.

Completely at a loss, Kayto took off his undergarment as well, stark naked on the exam table.

"Oooohhhh... very... nice..." Claude's eyes crossed slightly as she feasted her eyes, overcome once again by her ulterior motives. Without taking her eyes off him, she slipped a tiny bottle out of her pocket, drizzling lubricant over her hand.

"Umm... what.. are you doing?" asked Kayto, reddening as every thought in his brain came to a screeching halt and deserted him. "S-say..." his voice came out strangely high pitched. "You are a doctor right? Of medicine? You wouldn't happen to have your medical license somewhere, would you?"

"What are you insinuating, Captain?" asked Claude in a dramatic voice as she worked the lubricant with her fingers. "Of course I am! My license was on board the _Mochi_ , so you'll have to take the issue up with the pirates, I'm afraid... Now, enough about me... this visit's about you!"

"Really, I- W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kayto practically yelped as Claude stepped forward and grabbed him forcefully between his legs, stroking vigorously with her lubricated hand.

"Taking a semen sample... Ufufufufu..." Claude didn't even bother trying to hide her panting anymore. Leaning in and looking up provocatively, she stuck her chest out, giving Kayto full blast of her "medical uniform."

"Uhh... gurk... isn't there... some standardized... hurk... device..." Kayto's eyes crossed and his mind completely shut down, leaving him a gibbering wreak as Claude plied him with her ministrations.

"Some things are just worth doing the old fashioned way..." Claude panted excitedly as she sped up, emboldened by the obvious result of her attention.

"CAPTAIN!" Ava's voice sounded from outside the exam room.

Both Kayto and Claude froze, the former's jaw dropping open in horror as the blood drained from his face... and his erection. In slow motion, the exam room door slid open, admitting Ava, who had fluffed up indignantly.

"Captain I've- AAAIIIIIEEEE!" Ava shrieked in shock, fury, and just for the sake of shrieking as she saw Kayto's predicament and Claude, still holding onto him. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

"HURK... A-Ava?!" Kayto gasped hoarsely, as he helplessly watched Ava's face blanch white and flush red in under half a second.

"Medical Exam~" said Claude in a sing-song, but breathless voice, completely unabashed, finally releasing him and straightening her back.

"D-don't even give me that!" screamed Ava as she swiped Claude's hat off the top of her head. "Captain! This little skeever isn't a doctor at all! Look at this!" Ava shoved a bulletin towards him while making a studied point of not looking at his naked body.

Snatching the bulletin and glancing at it for the merest of moments before using it to cover himself as best as possible, Kayto blubbered. "I-I knew that!"

"Medical license suspended for malpractice," hissed Ava, rounding on Claude and advancing on her as the other woman shrank away. "Gross negligence, inappropriate conduct, non-standard of care medicine... You've been caught masquerading as a licensed doctor on over a dozen planets and been censured by just about every accrediting body in the galaxy!"

"Fire Saviors!" Kayto shouted. "I mean, damn it! Get me my clothes and I'll fire her!"

Ava practically hurled his uniform at his face.

"You heard the Captain," said Ava, glaring at Claude. "You're relieved of your position as ship physician. Also, I'm placing you under arrest."

Claude's eyes widened in horror and her jaw dropped. "F-for what?" she squealed.

"For what?" Ava cried, exasperated. "Weren't you listening to any of that?! You're under arrest for the impersonation of a medical professional!"

"And assaulting a superior officer!" threw in Kayto as he struggled with his clothing, hopping on one leg with the other stuck in his trousers. Ava ignored him.

The door hissed open once again and all eyes turned.

"H-hello? I think I forgot my ID badge here... W-what's all the commotion? OH... oh my..." Chigara's head poked in tentatively before she caught sight of Kayto, still completely undressed save for his boxer briefs and his hopelessly tangled pants. Without changing facial expressions, Chigara's eyes rolled up into her skull and she pitched forward, landing on the ground with a painful thud.

"Chigaraaa!" Kayto rushed to her, forgetting about his pants and tripping and falling flat himself, sprawling on top of her.

"Wowowow..." Claude started drooling again.

"Unbelievable..." Ava said faintly. "Unbelievable..."

* * *

Kayto sat in his office chair, taking an unreasonable amount of comfort in the tight embrace of his Cera Space Force uniform and looking across the desk warily at Claude, now dressed in the far more subdued garb of a crew uniform. Tears streamed down her face as she sniffled pitifully, staring into her lap.

"Captain, I've placed our 'doctor' under arrest. What should we do with her?" asked Ava, features stern.

"Send a transmission to the nearest Alliance patrol base. We'll rendezvous with them and transfer her custody over to them," decided Kayto.

"C-captain..." Claude gave a massive sniff and raised her gaze, her mauve eyes swimming with tears and pleading in expression. "Captain... you wouldn't do that to me would you? You see... I just wanted to help! I never meant any harm by it... I just can't ever stand by when I see people in need of medical attention, I can't help myself! The only reason my medical license was suspended was because I was too busy delivering supplies and care to worlds the Alliance hadn't sanctioned yet! Please, you have to believe me!"

Ava crossed her arms skeptically, unmoved. "Hmph."

Kayto frowned. Claude appeared to be earnest, and he even suspected a grain of truth somewhere in her story, but having witnessed her standard of care firsthand, he could not, in good conscience, allow her to continue running rampant without some kind of oversight. "We're on serious Ryuvian business," said Kayto humorlessly. "Once we're done, we'll see that you're transferred to Alliance custody with a fair trial, that's probably what's best for all of us. _Sunrider_ will also not press any charges, so unless you have any outstanding warrants for arrest, you should be free to go."

Claude nodded, sniffing wetly again. "If you're doing something related to Ryuvia, you probably want to head to the Mnemosyne Abyss."

"What?" Kayto arched an eyebrow at the information, completely caught off guard that Claude had been sitting on top of the intelligence the whole time. Suddenly, what had been a slip of the tongue became yet another stroke of luck, although this one would hopefully yield better fruit than the last one.

"I think you had better explain yourself," said Ava cautiously, although curiosity warmed her tone slightly.

"Well..." Claude gave a small smile, trying to win their good graces once again. "I've been to Tautenia on medical missions a few times now. The locals would tell me all sorts of stories, including one about an ancient space battle from Ryuvian times. You see, it's not that the Tautenians don't remember their history as a spacefaring people, but they consider their planet a shelter from the dangers of the Mnemosyne Abyss. According to their history, thousands of ships once clashed their in one of the greatest battles ever witnessed. Even now, thousands of years later, ghost ships and the souls of their dead crew continue to fight and patrol in the derelict ship graveyard, destroying any ship foolish enough to enter the abyss. It's because of their firm belief in this story that they've never tried to leave orbit since then."

"Fascinating..." mused Kayto. "Can we really go on the word of locals from a dark planet though?"

"It's not some local tall tale," insisted Claude. "The Tautenians were genuinely concerned whenever I would come and go. I think they told me the story to warn me, not to scare me. Besides, we don't call it the Mnemosyne Abyss for no reason; few ships have ever explored that area of space and come back, but those that do sometimes bring back Ryuvian relics."

"What do you think, Captain?" inquired Ava, clearly intrigued.

"It's the best lead we've got for now," said Kayto with a shrug. "At least it's worth an investigation. Set a course for the Mnemosyne Abyss."

"And the good 'doctor?' What do you want to do?" asked Ava.

"Looks like we'll be making at least one stop before heading back to Alliance space..." Kayto's voice trailed. Claude continued to look dejected, not meeting his eyes as she slumped with resignation. As inappropriate as she had been, Kayto felt a twinge of guilt. She might have not been a good doctor, but her heart seemed to be more or less in the right place. Punishing her even more, especially given her latest contribution, seemed to border on malice and Kayto felt something give in his conscience. After all, who had Claude really hurt as a result of her escapade? "Take her to the hanger," he decided, finding a loophole in his desire to dispense justice and mercy simultaneously.

"Captain?" Ava's tone was incredulous, but Claude perked up, looking at him gratefully.

"She's a better pilot than she is a doctor," he pointed out, although the contest was, arguably, reasonably close. "I think she could make herself useful aboard _Sunrider_."

"C-Captain..." Claude's voice was tremulous. "You're giving me another chance? Oh... Captain! You're so kind and generous... My hero..." Claude's voice trailed off as her imagination began editing her memories and the current scene in real time.

"Uhh..." Kayto eyed the increasingly vacant expression on her face warily. "Just stay away from the sickbay and we'll consider you on probation for now."

"T-thank you Captain!" Claude squealed happily. "I promise I'll do my best! I won't let you down again!"

"Unbelievable..." Ava dropped her face into her hands for a moment before gathering her wits again. "Come on, then," she said wearily, deciding not to argue. "The hanger's right below us... Captain," Ava turned, looking over her shoulder as she and Claude walked to the door. "Are you sure about this, the Mnemosyne Abyss, I mean."

"It's worth a try; who knows... maybe we'll find some Lost Technology that can make the Veniczar disappear."


	12. The Abyss

" _Sunrider_ has arrived at the Mnemosyne Abyss, Captain. We're back in normal space," Ava announced, not that anyone would be able to tell otherwise; the main screen was still pitch black.

"I guess they don't call it an Abyss for nothing... Activate our running lights, get me visual on our situation," ordered Kayto.

 _Sunrider's_ hull lit up as powerful lights activated, cutting swaths through the darkness of the Mnemosyne Abyss.

"Holy Ryuvia..." Ava exhaled quietly as the search lights illuminated the scene. Ancient Ryuvian ships, with holes and craters pockmarking their hulls, drifted, silent and dead in the vacuum of space. As the lights panned around and _Sunrider's_ computers put together a composite video feed, it became clear that the Tautenian legends had not exaggerated the scale of the battle that had taken place here; easily a hundred dead ships drifted in _Sunrider's_ immediate visual range, long range sensors painted even more, perhaps thousands of hulls farther out.

The entire region of space had a still, claustrophobic feeling, as though the _Sunrider_ and her crew were venturing into a forbidden and unwelcoming tomb. Thick, inky darkness surrounded them, shying away only from their powerful lights, but threatening to drown them at a moment's notice. Many of the Ryuvian ships, at least the ones they could see, appeared to have a similar design philosophy to each other. Arrowhead shaped like the _Sunrider_ , the Ryuvian ships were a dull matte gray interrupted by blue accents with no discernible purpose other than aesthetics. Looking at the ships, it was impossible to tell what kinds of weapons they had mounted; the entire hull appeared to be one smooth, contiguous plate with no obvious cannons or guns. Vessel tonnage appeared to vary somewhat; some ships were smaller than the _Sunrider_ , while others were easily an entire half a kilometer longer; regardless of their size or original function, all the ships appeared, superficially at least, identical.

Kayto swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Move us into the debris field, scan for any active electrical or radiation signals."

"Nothing, Captain," reported Ava after consulting her monitors for a moment. "It's all quiet out there; I'm not detecting a single active signal."

"A ship graveyard..." whispered Kayto. "My grandfather used to tell me stories about them when I was a kid... this feels like it could be right out of one of them."

Ava nodded, her face slightly paler than usual. Nobody in the CIC wanted to admit it, but they had all grown up hearing the same exact stories of ancient Ryuvian ghost ships and the like. Now, as the _Sunrider_ picked her way through the eerie silence of the Mnemosyne Abyss, nearly everyone was on edge, hairs standing on the backs of their necks.

"BOO!"

"Holy Ryuvia!" Kayto and the rest of the CIC crew jumped a mile in the air as Asaga's hologram materialized on the deck, cackling maliciously. "You've got some nerve, Pilot!"

"Just wanted to let you know we're standing by," grinned Asaga maniacally as Kayto and Ava both clutched their chests and wildly beating hearts. "Anytime you want us to head on out, you let us know, Capt'n."

Kayto glared at her. "Launch and spread out, move on ahead of _Sunrider_ and feed us recon. Get off my damn ship."

"Yes Sir!" Asaga turned slightly, addressing her wing. "All right people, you heard the Old Man! Let's get off this tub and do some sightseein'!"

 _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing dropped out of her launch bays, spreading out into the darkness of the abyss and activating their own running lights.

"Captain..." Ava's voice was hushed and uncertain. "I'm getting a strange reading at the edge of our sensor range."

"Show me."

Ava copied him the screen she was looking at. An unusual spire-like structure with five flanges radiating out of the central pillar at one end appeared, at complete odds with the rest of the ship profiles they had seen previously. "It's over four kilometers long, some kind of ancient warship, if I had to guess..." said Ava with wonder.

"It might just be what we were looking for..." mused Kayto, still taking in the vast debris field. "Can you imagine just how much Lost Technology must be out here? This is probably the biggest find of the century... think about all the history and technology this represents... If only we could examine all of it..."

"Do you really think the Crown Jewel is here, Captain?" asked Ava.

"It's probably more likely here than anywhere else we know of," shrugged Kayto. "Have the Ryders move towards that strange looking ship; we'll follow too. That's where we'll start our investigation."

"Roger that, incoming feeds from the Ryders," confirmed Ava.

Asaga, Chigara, Icari, and Claude all materialized in the CIC as the main screen separated to show their live feeds as well. All the pilots had wondrous expressions on their faces, tempered by the merest hint of apprehension.

"It's... beautiful," said Chigara softly, her blue eyes alight with passion as she stared out at the Ryuvian ships.

"In all my years of piloting and traveling... I've never seen _anything_ like this," confirmed Icari eagerly. "Captain, are you seeing this?"

"Yeah..." Kayto muttered, equally transfixed as the _Sunrider_ powered deeper into the ancient battlefield.

"Hey, look at that!" Chigara's voice quickened with excitement. "That ship's almost perfectly preserved! Scanning now... Captain, judging from the radiation leak and decay from its reactor, I'm dating this ship to be almost... two thousand years old! And this ship still has intact lateral markings... it looks like it used to be part of the Ryuvian Princess' Royal Guard!"

"Incredible..." whispered Ava. "Even after so long... we're barely capable of a tenth of what these people could do..."

"This was a battle, no doubt about it," Icari announced, slightly grim. "Phoenix is detecting large amounts of organic matter aboard the ships; probably the crew when they got spaced and flash frozen. Visual coming up now..."

Phoenix's live feed zoomed in on an observation deck on the ruined Ryuvian ship, its running lights peering through the windows and illuminating a grisly scene. A dozen men and women drifted gently, their ancient robes devoid of color after so long, but otherwise intact. Their bodies were twisted in agonizing positions, faces screaming out, undoubtedly the last thing they did before the air was sucked out of their lungs when their observation deck took a direct hit from their ancient enemy.

"Wow... you can even see some body parts!" Icari said enthusiastically, zooming in on one unfortunate case that seemed to have been blown up and frozen mid-explosion in a spectacular burst of freeze dried blood.

Chigara turned pale, "Uuu... I think I'm getting a little equipment malfunction... Icari, your feed's cutting out on my end."

"Looks like the ships are more damaged further in," observed Icari, jetting away from the grisly scene. "Seems like that giant, weird ship's at the center of everything."

"That would make sense," Chigara's voice still sounded weak. "If that super-dreadnought was able to fire some kind of weapon that radiated outwards from itself, it would be intact while everything around it was destroyed."

"I wonder which side it was on and why they thought it was necessary to sacrifice their entire fleet too..." asked Kayto rhetorically. "Ryders, get in closer to that super-dreadnought and check it out."

"Roger that," answered Asaga, leading the others towards the massive Ryuvian ship. "Feeding you visual now, _Sunrider_. Looks like there are some hanger bays or something... I'm going to go ahead and check it out!"

"Wait a minute!" protested Kayto. "Stay together, we don't know what could happen out here!"

"Aww, come on Capt'n!" Asaga stuck her tongue out rebelliously. "It's just a big old dead ship, none of your silly ghost stories! What's there to be scared of?"

"This is not the time for bravado," chastised Kayto. "Listen to yourself, don't you think you're being careless?"

Ignoring him, Black Jack pushed forward, leaving the other Ryders behind and disappearing into the opening in the side of the ship. "Wow... it's pretty spacious in here," reported Asaga. "This was definitely some kind of carrier... it's all open space and docking berths once you get in here... wow, there must be room for a thousand or more Ryders!"

Asaga's visual feed depicted a dizzying image of a central pillar with occasional struts sticking out at irregular intervals. Hundreds upon hundreds of invaginated pits large enough to admit a Ryder studded the far and inner walls, stretching out into the distance. Incredibly enough, the entire ship interior appeared to be more like an insect hive than anything else, undoubtedly capable of launching hundreds of Ryders within minutes in its heyday.

"That makes sense," chimed in Chigara, enraptured by Asaga's feed. "The Ryuvians invented Ryders in the first place, so it's reasonable that they had carriers the same as we do. The scale of this ship, though... it's an order of magnitude larger than anything we have today..."

"If I were to guess, the command center's probably towards the flared end of the ship," said Asaga. "I'm going to head over there now."

"Think the crew's still frozen there?" smirked Icari, now leading the other three Ryders into the ship at a more cautious speed.

"Who knows?" Asaga grinned. "But I'm not seeing any crew out here... weird. How could you run a ship this big without crew?"

"Maybe this ship was AI controlled!" Chigara swooned. "That would be incredible!"

"Is that even possible?" asked Icari skeptically. "We sure as hell don't have AI's today."

"If anyone had them, it would be the Ryuvians," smiled Chigara. "Their technology exceeds ours so far that we can't even begin to guess what they were capable of."

"I've made it to the central airlock," declared Asaga. "Setting Black Jack down... wow! According to my sensors, there's still atmosphere and life support past that door! I'm getting out of my Ryder and taking a look around!"

"Are you crazy?!" demanded Icari. "Give us ten minutes and we'll back you up. You've got no idea what's beyond that airlock!"

"Oohh, who's scared now?" teased Asaga.

"Asaga..." Kayto warned.

"Relax, Capt'n!" Asaga waved his concern off and sealed her helmet. "I'll be feeding you POV from my suit camera the whole time, everything's going to be fine. I'm entering the airlock now," she announced.

The video from Asaga's helmet cam was slightly shaky as she closed the airlock behind her. Clanging and hissing shook the camera slightly as the room pressurized and the far door opened, allowing her to walk into the gloom of the massive ship's command deck. Turning on her suit lights, Asaga illuminated the surprisingly small room. A single console rose from the center of the room, raised on a dais. The functions of the panel, however, were inscrutable, the entire apparatus appearing only to be a half-globe roughly the size of a large beach ball without any obvious buttons or switches.

"What the heck is this?" asked Asaga, circling the device. "Don't tell me this entire ship was flown by one person... wait... there's something else..."

Asaga looked up, pointing her helmet towards a bright light coming from an adjacent room. Walking towards the bluish light, Asaga's breath quickened as she poked her head into the room. "It's... some kind of capsule... and, there's someone in it!"

Kayto's eyes were wide as he watched the video feed. Part of him wanted to scream for her to get out of there immediately, the other part had to know who was in the capsule and why. Floating stark naked and curled in a semi-fetal position in whatever mysterious fluid was contained in the capsule, a slender, almost elfin statured girl of breathtaking beauty looked apparently asleep, her white hair waving gently with the currents. There was only one explanation he could come up with. "It's... an Ancient Ryuvian..." Kayto whispered reverently.

"Capt'n!" Asaga's voice was astonished as she investigated a read out panel set slightly away from the capsule. "Capt'n! She's alive!"

The blue lighting of the chamber suddenly plunged into blood red as an alarm, low and menacing, rang out.

"What did you do?" demanded Kayto with a sinking feeling.

"Nothing!" Asaga's breathing rate tripled as she backpedaled wildly from the console. "I didn't even touch it!"

" _Ga'rk! Sharn-la ree seath ta!"_ a monstrous, low voice boomed out on the ship, shaking Asaga to the bone.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" demanded Asaga.

"It means haul ass and get out of there!" yelled Kayto, pounding his armrest in frustration. Curiosity had gotten the best of all of them, although it would be Asaga who would pay for the misstep.

"Roger that Cap-" Asaga stopped suddenly. "Uhh... where'd that sleeping beauty go?"

Kayto realized with a sinking feeling as her helmet camera panned over that the fluid tank was now empty.

"ASAGA, GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" Kayto bellowed. Asaga's video feed turned as she spun towards the exit. For a moment, the coast was clear, until the girl, wild eyed, pale, and wet, lunged from one of the many shadows in the room, knocking into Asaga's helmet with a feral expression marring her face before the feed cut out.

"Captain! We've lost contact with Asaga's suit!" Ava sounded shaken.

"Massive power surge detected!" Chigara's voice also sounded panicked. "That ship's coming to life! Also detecting multiple power signatures activating in the fleet!"

"I knew it!" Icari's eyes were wild. "This _is_ a haunted ship graveyard! They're coming back to life!"

"Multiple contacts, Captain," Ava's fingers flew furiously over her command consoles. "Detecting multiple weapon locks! Captain, they're targeting us!"

"Damn it!" Kayto gritted his teeth. Things had gone from serene to extremely dangerous in a matter of seconds. Asaga would have to rely on herself for the moment; his duty was first and foremost to the most lives at stake, which meant protecting the _Sunrider_ and hoping that his CAG would make it back onto the Black Jack and out of that ship on her own. "Red Alert! All hands to battle stations! Icari, you're the CAG now, form up and get back to _Sunrider_ on the double. I don't know what these ships can do, but we've got to take them out if we're getting out of here alive."

"Roger that, Captain!" Icari's voice was cold and professional as her training kicked in and overrode her panic. "Liberty, Bianca, on me!" Arcing around, the Phoenix and the other two Ryders, one on each flank, came about and streaked towards the _Sunrider_ , positioning themselves in a protective screen in front of her, facing the incoming Ancient Ryuvian ships, now aglow with an almost supernatural blueish light.

"Fire Saviors, maximum firing rate!" barked Katyo as _Sunrider's_ deck guns let loose. The heavy kinetic slugs rained down on the Ancient Ryuvian ship, slamming into its armor and drilling into its hull. Even after taking a full two salvos head on, the Ryuvian ship remained intact and active, bearing down on the _Sunrider_. "Damn," Kayto gritted his teeth. "That's one hell of a ship... Icari, use the debris fields as cover, take that ship out! Chigara, see if you can hack their systems, buy us some time!"

Phoenix rocketed forward, diving in between ancient wrecked hulls as Icari weaved her way to the wounded Ryuvian ship. Flitting out of cover, she emptied her assault cannons into the damaged hull, tearing apart exposed decks and systems through the gaping holes _Sunrider's_ Saviors had left. The barrage proved too much, even for Ryuvian engineering, and the ship shut down, looking for all intents and purposes no different than the wrecks of its sister ships.

"Hey Chigara?" Claude's voice came over the comms dreamily.

"Kind of busy..." Chigara's voice was strained as she struggled to interface with the vastly different Ryuvian software architecture to exploit a weakness.

"Well... I was just wondering... what was that electronic warfare module you were telling me about again?" inquired Claude innocently.

"Just push the big red button!" Chigara sighed exasperatedly. "Bianca's already programmed to handle the rest."

"Okaaayyy..." Claude pushed the button three times, targeting each of the Ryuvian ships in turn. "Whoa... look at all this fancy computer stuff... I'll just change this and that..."

Two Ryuvian ships opened fire simultaneously, launching a pack of missiles each. The third ship struggled, apparently disabled by Chigara's interference. The missiles streaked towards Phoenix, tightly on target at first until several inexplicably deviated from their trajectory, some even careening into their neighbors. Between whatever damage Claude had inflicted upon their targeting computers and the Phoenix's dodging capabilities and cover behind the debris field, not a single missile found its mark. Their impacts did, however, punch through the shattered hulls of the long dead ships of the debris field with almost insulting ease, detonating with a brilliant blue explosion.

Kayto breathed out in relief; clearly, the missiles were bad news for anyone hit by one; one full barrage would almost certainly overwhelm a single Ryder or punch several punishing holes into _Sunrider_ if they were allowed to connect.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone!" Asaga's voice roared through on the comm, her connection suddenly re-establishing with the _Sunrider_ and the other Ryders as Black Jack came soaring out of the massive Ryuvian super-dreadnought.

"Asaga!" Kayto felt another wave of relief, "What happened in there?"

"I dunno, Capt'n! One second I was flat on my back, the next-," Asaga sounded as confused as he felt.

"Never mind that!" shouted Icari, interrupting her. "You've got three bogey's on your tail, Black Jack!"

"Three?" Asaga's confusion deepened. "That's impossible, there's only one pilot!"

"Pilot? You mean the girl who attacked you?" asked Kayto, head spinning.

"I think so, she gave me a pretty good wallop before she ran out the airlock," replied Asaga. "Whoa! That was close!" Black Jack swerved side to side as it dodged three shots from the pursuing Ryders. The Ryuvian Ryders fired from a long barreled weapon Kayto had never seen before, discharging some kind of laser fire at Black Jack. Unlike a laser, however, the beam did not appear to inflict any thermal damage on Black Jack's armor as it grazed past, impacting as a kinetic slug instead, rocking the Black Jack unexpectedly.

"Looks like two of the three are semi-solid holograms projected by the super-dreadnought, Captain! Only one of them is real!" Chigara said disbelievingly, reading her Liberty's sensor data with interest.

"I dunno..." Asaga did not sound convinced as she continued to dodge and weave, trying to throw the other Ryders' pursuit. "None of those shots felt like anything fake to me..."

"Tsch!" Icari snarled. "Even after two thousand years... these enemies are insane! What kind of technology could do that?!"

"Never mind, we can't do anything about it," said Kayto. "All pilots, focus on the mission. We've got to break past those other three ships and the Ryders. Icari, Phoenix is the only Ryder with the engines fast enough to get to those cruisers without getting cut down. Punch it and get in close to the ship coming in on our starboard flank. Stick to the debris fields if you can, _Sunrider_ will cover you."

"Roger that!" Icari grinned, opening up the Phoenix's throttle to maximum and shooting straight for the targeted Ryuvian ship. Additional missiles locked onto her exhaust, but the Phoenix made for too nimble of a target, even for the Ancient Ryuvians, as she led them on a wild chase. Dodging into a debris field, Phoenix executed a series of hairpin dives and turns. By the time Icari emerged, the missiles had exhausted themselves or slammed into debris, unable to keep up with her maneuvers.

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors opened fire, launching two salvos that streaked past the Phoenix, slamming into the Ryuvian ship. As with the previous ship, the slugs penetrated her armor, but failed to deliver a killing blow, which Icari was more than happy to provide. Putting the Phoenix into a dive, Icari hit her firing controls, blazing away at the damaged ship and scoring a hit on something vital inside which caused the ship to chain with explosions. As the Ryuvian ship broke apart, she passed into yet another debris field, diving behind a long-dead ship hull for cover as her engines did their best to radiate excess heat.

A few seconds later, the entire hull she had been taking cover behind started to shake as the remaining Ryuvian ships dumped their missiles towards her, apparently deciding to blast away her cover instead of forcing their missiles to track around it. The hull fractured under the barrage, one lucky missile soaring through a breach and detonating, rattling the Phoenix as it tried to dodge. Although the primary explosion did not manage to catch her, shrapnel from the torn ancient hull blasted up towards her Ryder, punching into the Phoenix's armor and setting off alarms of consternation. Icari would have cursed, but a sudden flash of light punched a Ryder sized crater into the hull immediately to her right. "Damn!" Icari threw the Phoenix to the side, straining against the acceleration, as two other shots landed where her Ryder had been a half-second earlier. "I'm getting pinned out here! Captain! Do something!" she yelled in frustration.

"Black Jack! Come in from the other side and flank them," ordered Kayto. "Make for that shipwreck, use it for cover and lay some fire down for the Phoenix."

"Roger that, Capt'n! Hang in there Phoenix!" Asaga gunned the Black Jack forward getting alarmingly close to a Ryuvian ship. Ignoring it, she passed behind the ancient wreck Kayto had indicated and let loose with her entire complement of seeker missiles. The weapons streaked towards the three Ryders pinning Icari, landing multiple hits on the one closest to Black Jack. "Damn, that's one tough Ryder!" grumbled Asaga as the targeted Ryder emerged from the firestorm damaged but alive. Switching to her pulse cannons, Asaga fired a stream of pulse lasers at the Ryders, taking down the wounded one and damaging the center Ryder.

Taking advantage of the sudden reprieve, Phoenix pushed its engines to the max once again, breaking from cover and driving straight up to rightmost Ryuvian Ryder, spinning into a barrel roll as Icari dodged yet another shot from its unusual rifle. At close quarters, however, the Ryuvian Ryder's weapon actually became cumbersome and Icari grinned as she saw the Ryder's pilot struggled to bring the gun's barrel to bear. Sidestepping the long weapon, Icari slashed with her anti-Ryder blades, catching the lightly armored and sluggish Ryder in a series of rapid strikes that tore apart the semisolid hologram.

"All ahead full!" ordered Kayto in the CIC of the _Sunrider_. "Take out the last Ryder as soon as we get in range."

 _Sunrider's_ engines glowed a powerful blue as they pushed the ship towards the remaining Ryuvian forces.

"Fire all Hell Dart Missiles!" shouted Ava as _Sunrider_ drew close enough for her targeting computers to calculate a firing solution for the missiles. The missiles streaked towards the final Ryder, blasting past the Ryuvian ships, whose flak cannons had apparently deactivated over the millenia drifting in space. The missiles struck true, detonating on the Ryder's frame, leaving no trace as the explosions faded.

"Fire the Saviors!" ordered Kayto. "All Ryders, coordinate with _Sunrider_ and concentrate fire! Give them everything we've got!"

 _Sunrider's_ deck guns flashed firing salvo after salvo at the Ryuvian cruisers as Phoenix and Black Jack drove in from the sides, pelting their lateral hull with laser and autocannon fire. The Ryuvian ships continued to launch missiles as fast as their internal reloading mechanisms would allow, but Chigara and Claude's combined electronic interference significantly hampered their effectiveness and ability to launch. Of the missiles that cleared their tubes, most were intercepted at range by Black Jack and Phoenix's flak cannons or dodged, although one or two managed to slip past, inflicting more than their fair share of damage to the increasingly beleaguered Ryders.

Finally, after a frantic and all out slugfest, _Sunrider_ and her Ryder wing stood victorious, having overwhelmed their technologically superior foe with overwhelming firepower and sheer, bloody luck.

"Was that all of them?" asked Kayto wearily, mopping the sweat off his brow.

"Looks like sensors are clear..." said Ava, uncertainly, checking the readings for the third time, no longer willing to take anything for granted in the ship graveyard.

"Uh-oh! Negative, Captain!" Asaga called over her channel. "We've still got one Ryuvian Ryder! All three of the other ones were decoys!"

"Take it out!" shouted Kayto, completely taken aback.

The Ryuvian Ryder had managed to evade their sensor nets and slip past _Sunrider_ to their rear. In slow motion, Kayto saw the Ryder level its weapon at Liberty, taking careful aim so as to ensure a hit.

"Chigara!" yelled Kayto. At that range, Liberty would almost certainly be hit by the mysterious weapon. Pounding his arm rest, Kayto cursed; Liberty's electronic warfare suite had consumed all of the Ryder's energy to suppress the Ryuvian ships, leaving it completely vulnerable to the other Ryder's counter attack.

"Argh! As if...!" Asaga's strained voice yelled as the Black Jack dove across the Ryuvian Ryder's line of fire with impossible speed. Using the flat of its anti-Ryder melee blade, Black Jack deflected the shot, slapping it aside.

"A-Asaga!" Chigara yelped in surprise.

"I-impossible! Are you kidding me? That shot was traveling almost at the speed of light! T-there's no way in hell..." Icari stuttered, unable to believe her eyes.

"Captain... how did she...?" whispered Ava in the CIC, eyes wide.

"Doesn't matter! Black Jack, take the enemy out now!" barked Kayto.

Turning to face the enemy Ryder, Black Jack's energy beam deployed as well. Rear engines thrumming with power, Asaga accelerated towards the Ryuvian Ryder before it could squeeze in another shot.

Completely unexpectedly, however, the enemy Ryder lowered its rifle and bowed its head before dropping into an unmistakable kneel, clearly surrendering. Black Jack slowed as Asaga's eyes widened in surprise. Still pointing her weapons at the Ryuvian Ryder, Asaga hailed the Ryvian pilot on an open channel and patched the _Sunrider_ in.

The silver haired woman they had seen earlier floating in the stasis tank aboard the super-dreadnought materialized, although she was now wearing stark white Ryder armor. The most striking thing about her, however, was that her eyes were disconcertingly mismatched. One iris appeared to be her normal amber while the other glowed with an unnatural blue-green, the same color as the Ryuvian warships.

"Are... you...?" The Ryuvian's voice was soft and flat, devoid of emotions and unnecessary inflection. Although her accent was exotic, her Standard was fully understandable; impressive given the linguistic drift of two thousand years. "There is only one capable of fighting like that. Impossible... There cannot be another. Yet... I... am alive?"

"You're not makin' any sense! Say something useful!" snapped Asaga, still pointing her swords at the motionless Ryuvian Ryder.

"Enough." The blueish glow from the woman's eye faded, revealing a matching amber iris underneath. "I yield; this match has been decided." 

"Captain, that Ryuvian Ryder just powered down completely!" said Ava, surprised. On screen, the white and blue Ryder's lights abruptly cut out, leaving it still and cold as the rest of the dead ships in the abyss.

"Hey, we might want to get a move on," Icari's voice cut in over the comms. "Phoenix is detecting multiple energy spikes at the edge of sensor range; I think we've got more Ryuvian ships coming in for us!"

"Captain!" Chigara sounded alarmed, "Liberty's reading massive energy spikes from the super-dreadnought! I-it's trying to power up its main weapon!"

Kayto's face drained. If the ship graveyard was any indication, Chigara's readings were extremely bad news for the _Sunrider_. "All Ryders, return to base. Asaga, tow that Ryder in with you! All hands, prepare for emergency warp on my mark! Spool up our drives!"

"Power starting to fluctuate," reported Chigara anxiously, keeping one eye on the erratic sensor data while accelerating Liberty towards the waiting _Sunrider._ "Core instability detected... at this rate... Captain! That weapon isn't going to fire; the ship's going to blow up! We need to get out of here now!"

"Damn!" Kayto punched a series of commands into his console. "All Ryders, initiate emergency landing procedures!"

 _Sunrider's_ aft armor shifted as she opened her rear for the emergency landing protocol, turning the entire hanger deck into one long runway for the incoming Ryders. Such measures were extreme, risking severe damage to both the Ryders and the ship itself if any errors were made. Coming in from all vectors, _Sunrider's_ Ryders blasted under her engines and into the hanger deck at full speed, spinning a full one hundred eighty degrees as they cleared the outer hull, pushing their thrusters to the maximum. The punishing change in acceleration shook their Ryder frames and crushed the pilots into their crash seats, all of them on the cusp of blacking out as magnetic tethers latched onto the Ryders, bleeding additional momentum out of their trajectory. One at a time, the Ryders skidded to a halt, sparks flying as their feet made contact with the _Sunrider's_ deck, leaving long, metal-on-metal skid marks before coming to a grinding halt.

Black Jack was the last Ryder to clear the outer hull, having dragged the captive Ryuvian Ryder and tossed it in ahead of itself unceremoniously. "Captain! We all clear!" grunted Asaga, struggling to speak as Black Jack began its sudden deceleration.

"Seal the hanger deck! Go to emergency warp as soon as the door locks!" yelled Kayto, watching in horror as the massive super-dreadnought lit up with energy. Massive electrical arcs rippled through the entire superstructure, punching massive holes in its hull and racing up towards the command deck. As they reached the ship's flared end, the entire super-dreadnought's blue glow became painful to look at, intensifying hellishly. "Go, go, go!"

Multiple explosions broke out on the ancient Ryuvian super-dreadnought, setting its entire hull on fire before its primary reactor chained, breaking free of its controlled reaction and consuming all its remaining fuel in a single, brilliant nova. The entire ship was consumed as a massive blue ball of plasma blasted outwards, momentarily birthing a new star in the Abyss. Radiating outwards, the explosion slammed into the ancient shipwrecks, consuming them eagerly as it raged towards the _Sunrider._ With a hellish storm of searing plasma rushing at her, _Sunrider's_ warp drives teased apart space and time, pushing the ship to the safety of another dimension a millisecond before it was too late.

"Hull temperature critical!" shouted Ava as the _Sunrider_ shook angrily, having transitioned into warp travel with a minimum level of safety. "Dropping now... we're clear, Captain! Warp successful, all sections reporting green."

Kayto sighed explosively. "That was too close... way too close. Stand down Red Alert"

The CIC returned to normal lighting as an all clear signal sounded through _Sunrider._

"Captain, looks like the girls have taken the Ryuvian into custody down in the hanger. Shall I have security escort her to the brig?" asked Ava, fielding a report from the hanger deck.

"Negative," Kayto rose from his seat. "Let's go down there and meet her ourselves before we decide anything. After all, she's our only real hope of finding out what really happened back there."


	13. Sola

_Sunrider's_ hanger was a complete mess, all five Ryders were scattered on the main deck from their emergency combat landing. The mere fact that they remained standing or kneeling was a testament to their pilots' skills in Ryder maneuvering; ordinarily, such a landing would have floored a less experienced pilot's Ryder.

As Kayto and Ava emerged from the lift to the main hanger floor, an intense smell of ozone, burning metal, and oil hit their noses. Ship security had arrived, but per Kayto's orders, remained somewhat distant to the Ryder pilots, only acting as oversight. Farther ahead, the _Sunrider's_ pilots had exited their craft, facing the Ancient Ryuvian's Ryder as its pilot descended to the deck as well.

Fingering her white Ryder suit as though reassuring herself its armored plates were real, the Ryuvian's expressionless gaze raked over her surroundings, betraying no reaction to her capture. Silent, she merely stared back at the other pilots with mild disinterest, barely bothering to give Kayto and Ava a second glance as they approached.

"Hi, hello?" Kayto repeated himself to capture the Ryuvian's full attention. "I'm Captain Kayto Shields, welcome aboard the _Sunrider_."

"Captain..." the white haired girl spoke the word slowly, testing it on her tongue. Again, she spoke with a flat, deadpan voice devoid of emotion. "You are the ship master?"

"Uhh... That's actually more Ava's job," joked Kayto as Ava glared at him. "But yes, I am in charge on this ship. I don't think you mentioned your name."

"..." The Ryuvian girl neither reacted nor seemed to appreciate his attempt at humor. "Princess Sola vi Ryuvia."

"P-princess!?" Kayto inquired excitedly. "Are you the missing princess from Ryuvia?"

Sola looked back at him without saying anything, uncomprehending.

Chigara gasped, her ancient history lessons coming back to her. "B-but that's impossible! _The_ Sola vi Ryuvia? Of the Ancient Ryuvians? But you died over two thousand years ago!"

Sola continued to hold her silence, although confusion clouded her eyes and she bit her lip, apparently not refuting Chigara's recalled history.

"Looks like history may have gotten that last detail wrong, Chigara," frowned Kayto. "Sola... I don't mean to be blunt, but we found you in suspended animation aboard that ship of yours. You've been asleep for more than two thousand years." Kayto said, watching Sola closely.

Although the words clearly hit home, her expression was inscrutable. For a moment, he considered how he would feel if their positions were reversed and a wave of pity washed over him. For the Ancient Ryuvian, the future would be a vastly different place from what she remembered, everything and everyone from her own time lost to the erosion of history. "I'm sorry, you must be even more shocked than we are. I suppose we should welcome you to the future," he said as gently as he could.

"What of the Fallen? Was... my mission successful?" asked Sola, a profound sadness creeping into her features as though she already knew the answer.

"I'm not certain," answered Kayto truthfully. "You'll have to take our word for it now, but things are very different now than from your own time. The Holy Ryuvian Empire hasn't existed for over a thousand years now. We've lost much of the knowledge and history from your time, although Ryuvia Prime is still home to the Ryuvian royal family and what remains of their empire."

"I see..." Sola's expression remained sad, but she offered no other words, simply waiting for Kayto to continue.

"We'll get you caught up on all the history you've missed," offered Kayto. "But I need to ask a few questions first, just so that we can figure out what happened back there. I need to know why you attacked us."

"The last thing I remember before the Final Tear was the heat of battle." Sola spoke cryptically, not bothering to explain the unfamiliar references to her audience. "The Fallen had breached our lines, overwhelmed our defenses... it was over for us, so it had to be done. A flash... followed by utter destruction and darkness. You say I was kept dormant for all those years, but when I awoke, naught but a second had passed from my last memory. I attacked your ship fearing it was the Fallen. Please, forgive me."

"Umm... that's fine." said Kayto with confusion. Little of what she said made sense without the proper cultural context, but as far as he could tell, it seemed that the entire attack was a misunderstanding; understandable in the light of her disorientation. At any rate, she no longer appeared to mean them harm. "You've mentioned the Fallen twice now... who are they?"

"Imposters to the throne," said Sola mechanically, her dead and empty eyes locking onto his. "They were led by the pretender, Crow Harbour, sworn enemy of the rightful heirs of Ryuvia."

Kayto nodded; her story seemed to fit with most modern explanations regarding the waning centuries of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, even if history had forgotten the names and faces of the various factions believed to have destroyed the ancient empire through protracted infighting and civil war. "And what about that explosion? We've never seen anything of that magnitude."

"Such is the ultimate power of the Sharr'Lac," answered Sola, apparently referring to the ancient super-dreadnought. "The Final Tear... a weapon of unimaginable destructive potential. It was within the power of the Sharr'Lac to raze and burn everything within a half a light year radius, so long as one was willing to pay the Ultimate Sacrifice."

Kayto sighed. Although the line of questioning had been intriguing, it was clear that making complete sense of her memories and knowledge would require many more hours of back and forth and access to the ship's database for modern historical texts. At the moment, however, _Sunrider's_ needs were far more pressing and her mission would need to have priority over any historical curiosity. "Last question; do you know anything about the Crown Jewel of Ryuvia?"

"Crown... Jewel?" Sola looked utterly uncomprehending.

"Umm... maybe it was called something else in your time..." Kayto wondered. "We're told it's a crystal of some sort that can help identify Ryuvian royalty."

"You speak of the Talbur," Sola said decisively as everyone looked on eagerly. "I have it in my possession, but no further need of it. I give it to you freely as recompense for my actions. Shall I retrieve it from the Seraphim?" Sola indicated her crumpled Ryder.

"Please!" Kayto nodded, marveling at their incredible luck. "We wish to return it to the royal family on Ryuvia Prime."

Sola nodded, turning and returning to her Ryder. Minutes later, she emerged with a elongated purple crystal shard in her hand. "Behold the Talbur. It lights in the presence of royal blood, but it shall never light for me. I-" Sola gasped as the crystal flared a brilliant purple as she walked back to the group, floating five centimeters above her palm and rotating gently. "That's... impossible..."

"Why-?" Kayto furrowed his brow in confusion.

 _Warning! Warning!_ Kayto and Ava's bracelets wailed simultaneously as the CIC sent an emergency alert to both of them.

"This is the Captain, go ahead!" said Kayto, lifting the bracelet to his lips.

"Captain!" the crewman on the other side of the line sounded panicked. "We've got multiple warp signatures all around us. Sir! It's the PACT!"

"Go to Red Alert! I'm coming to the CIC right now!" roared Kayto, breaking into a sprint with Ava hot on his heels. Alarms began wailing overhead as the ship lighting dropped into red again. _All Hands to battle stations! This is not a drill!_

In the lift, Kayto pounded the controls, taking a final look at the Ryder hanger as the doors closed. Crew and machines ran to and fro as the Ryder pilots immediately made to return to their cockpits. Having landed in those awkward circumstances, standard combat launch would not be an option; _Sunrider_ would have to open her aft section once again to allow the Ryders to deploy. Gritting his teeth, he looked sideways at Ava, her face taut and grim. Calling the situation unfortunate was a dire understatement. Unless _Sunrider_ had run afoul a PACT supply barge, the situation promised to be a disaster.

Several agonizing minutes of waiting and sprinting later, Kayto and Ava burst into the CIC. "Report!" demanded Kayto, settling into his seat and Ava to hers.

"Multiple PACT contacts dropping out of warp, Captain!" called out Ava, a flurry of motion. "I'm reading forty... fifty... sixty ships in total! Captain! It's an entire invasion fleet!"

Kayto's blood ran cold as he looked up at the main screen, dozens of the PACT's blood red ships, separated into battle groups, arrayed themselves in front of the _Sunrider_ , moving to box her in completely. As he watched, additional ships; cruisers, battleships, and carriers, dropped out of warp and lined up their weapons with the _Sunrider_. Clearly, the attack was a premeditated ambush. "Spool up our warp drives-"

"It's no use, Captain," interrupted Ava, ashen-faced. "Our drives won't be ready to spool up for another half hour after that last emergency jump... we're dead in the water."

"Damn!" Kayto pounded the arm rest of his chair. Ava was entirely right; attempting another emergency warp so soon after the last one wasn't a risk, it was suicide.

"We're being hailed, Captain. It's the PACT fleet."

"Let's have it," Kayto externally calming himself, but swallowing hard, throat dry and tight.

"BWAHAHAHA!" Veniczar Cullen's substantial bulk appeared in the CIC, jowls quivering in delight. "This is perfect, perfect! Just the sort of retribution a worm like you deserves! I told you you would rue the day you crossed me, Captain!"

"Veniczar Porkchop!" Kayto gave a mock start of surprise. "Is it just me or is your flagship listing to port? You might want to keep your weight along the central axis."

"Bah!" Cullen waved a meaty hand at Kayto. "Save your insults for the afterlife, boy. As you can see, your foul ship and wretched crew are no match for my fleet. Now... I know you have the Crown Jewel aboard your ship, don't even bother denying it. Why don't you hand it over quick like a good lad, eh?"

"The Crown Jewel?" Kayto asked, thrown. "What the hell does the PACT want with it?"

"Hmph," Cullen sneered. "Typical backwater ignorance. The Crown Jewel is but a means to locate our Glorious Leader's runaway bride, the Princess of Ryuvia. I, Veniczar Cullen, have been tasked with its retrieval from this foul place."

Kayto arched his brow at Ava, who shrugged back. Clearly, news of the Princess's betrothal to Veniczar Arcadius was not as widely publicized as her disappearance. Not that Kayto could blame her; being married off to the megalomaniac dictator of the PACT Empire seemed like a decidedly unpleasant affair. Little wonder then that she had absconded, leaving her computerized husband-to-be before they could even reach the altar.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the Crown Jewel was the only thing keeping the PACT ships from opening fire on the _Sunrider_. Even if Kayto complied with their demand, he had little doubt that the Veniczar would sink the _Sunrider_ and butcher his crew simply as an act of revenge for the humiliating defeat at Tautenia.

"I won't ask again, boy," threatened Cullen, his little piggy eyes bulging.

Kayto glared back at him. If the _Sunrider_ was going down, she would go down with her crew fighting to the last, not sniveling for mercy at the feet of a PACT Veniczar. "You'd risk destroying the Crown Jewel? Be my guest. You can pry it from my cold, dead hands. All weapons, fire!"

 _Sunrider's_ Trinity lasers and Saviors discharged, rocking a PACT battleship in the lead, but failing to do anything more than emphasize her crew's defiance against insurmountable odds.

"Pathetic. I thought it would come to this," Cullen indulged in a gleeful smile. "I did rather hope for more begging though. Perhaps this will loosen your tongue, boggart. All ships, make it slow."

A dozen PACT warships joined in with Cullen's flagship, firing their lasers at _Sunrider_. Surrounded by fire from all sides, _Sunrider_ could do little except take hit after hit on her hull, the PACT lasers burning through armor and slicing through her decks. Atmosphere vented and ignited as entire sections of the ship decompressed.

In _Sunrider's_ hanger, the Ryders toppled and smashed to the ground as the entire ship pitched and rocked with explosions and damage. Their pilots scrambled and sprinted, fleeing the destruction and joining the ship's crew in evacuating to the upper catwalk.

"Damn it!" shouted Icari, punching the glass window as she watched the Ryders tumble together into a messy heap as _Sunrider_ rocked to port with a particularly violent blow. "C-can't we do anything!?"

The pilots clung to dear life as _Sunrider_ continued to shudder and shake. Reports of hull compromise and compartment depressurization streamed through on the overhead PA system, becoming increasingly garbled as the ship's systems were overwhelmed.

"We're all going to die!" screamed Claude, losing her head completely.

Eyeing the destruction around her, Asaga gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve. The time had come. If she did nothing now, the entire crew of the _Sunrider_ would perish, an outcome that, no matter how she felt otherwise, was unacceptable. If her sacrifice could make the difference, then that was all the reason she needed.

Staggering with the ship's rocking, Asaga half ran, half crawled to Sola, whose face was as impassive as ever. "Sola!" Asaga screamed. The white haired girl looked at her with a hint of curiosity. "We both know what that crystal is telling us. Give it to me, now!"

Sola gave Asaga an appraising look before dropping it into her hand. "As you wish," she said quietly. "It is your right to hold it, not mine.'

"Asaga!" Chigara cried from across the catwalk, realizing what her companion intended.

"Chigara... it's time..." said Asaga, firmly looking away from her and struggling towards a hatch at the far end of the catwalk. "Take care of yourself for me. I'll never forget what you and I did together."

"ASAGA!" Chigara's face dissolved into tears as she tried to reach out towards Asaga's back.

"What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Icari from her handhold as Asaga struggled to pull herself past her. "Where are you going?"

"Icari, take care of everyone for me. You're the CAG now," said Asaga as Icari's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, and I'm going to need this," she said, jerking other pilot's sidearm out of its slot on her hip before she could react.

Reaching her destination, she pounded her fist on the wall control, opening the hatch and revealing a series of seats packed tightly together; one of _Sunrider's_ escape pods. Pulling herself in, she punched the door controls and hit the launch sequence without looking back, lest she be tempted into staying and avoiding her fate. A series of heavy locks clanged shut and the entire pod shook as it blasted loose from _Sunrider_ , dropping its single occupant into the darkness of space.

The CIC turned into a bloody show as damage reports streamed in from every corner of the ship. Lights flickering and smoke filling the room, the entire CIC shook as _Sunrider's_ critical systems sustained hits.

"C-Captain!" coughed Ava, pulling herself back into her command station, having been thrown by a particularly violent explosion. "Massive damage reported in all sectors! W-we can't-"

"L-launch Ryders!" Kayto clutched his side where something cracked against the armrest of his chair. Grinding his teeth against the pain, he looked at Ava, who stared back in panic, eyes wide.

"T-there's too many of them!" she gasped. "C-critical systems damage, weapons and launch bays inoperable. Engineering reports reactor at critical! C-Captain! Y-your orders!?"

Kayto dropped his gaze for a moment, the mayhem of the CIC fading as a clarity he had never known hit him. No matter what they did, no matter what they tried, they were dead men and women. No moment up until then, not their encounter with the _Legion_ , not any other danger the _Sunrider_ had found herself in, even compared with the absolute certainty of defeat that they faced at that moment. But faced with such a situation, Kayto found calm; the eye of a hurricane surrounded by violence and desperation on all sides.

Looking back up, he let a peaceful expression rise to his face and looked Ava in her wild, fearful eyes. Reaching out, he took one of her hands, gently. "Ava..."

Ava flinched, trying to pull her hand back. "S-Sir! Y-your... orders...?"

"It's all right, Ava..." Kayto smiled gently, fixing her with a warm gaze as her cheeks reddened. "Been an honor..."

Ava's eyes softened as the fight left her as well. Awash in the chaos of _Sunrider's_ death throes, she tightened her hand around Kayto's, grabbing onto the only anchor she could reach. Looking at his peaceful smile, Ava felt something inside give, breaking through the walls and barriers she had set so firmly, years ago. What she glimpsed beyond them was a beautiful, terrifying truth she had buried long ago. Duty and honor threatened to crumble as she felt pangs of regret for the choices she had made in life. So much remained unsaid between the two and, now, Ava felt something unfamiliar as she realized those words would go with her to their cold, dark grave. A rebellious tear threatened to drop from her eyes as she opened her mouth, trying to find the words to make amends. For a moment nothing came, but she forced herself to say something, anything. "Kayto," she screamed, trying to make herself heard over the alarms, fires, and explosions. "I-"

"STOOOOPPPPP!"

Asaga's voice screamed over an open comm. "WAIT! I'M THE ONE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR!"

Asaga's image flickered to life on the CIC, slightly distorted by dust and debris. She stood staunchly, raising her hand and showing the glowing Crown Jewel floating above her palm. "I am Princess Asaga di Ryuvia. By my command, I order you to halt your assault, Cullen," she demanded in an unfamiliar, powerful tone.

 _Sunrider's_ battered frame stopped rumbling as the PACT fleet abruptly ceased their attack, the CIC's alarms dropping marginally in intensity and volume. "What the hell?" muttered Kayto as Ava dropped his hand, turning to her console. "What's going on?"

"Captain..." Ava's voice was shaken and uncertain. "Asaga's transmission is coming from an escape pod. She's ejected herself towards the PACT fleet."

"Well... I'll be," Cullen looked taken aback, stroking both of his chins with the sudden development. "Who would've ever guessed you'd be hiding out here, Your Grace? It appears you're telling the truth, our scans confirm the authenticity of that crystal..."

Glaring at the camera, Asaga pointed her pistol to her head. "Order your ships to fall back immediately or you'll be explaining to Arcadius why his bride is headless."

Cullen nodded, barely bothering to conceal his glee. "All ships! Emergency warp back to our base. My flagship will rejoin you once we've brought the princess aboard."

 _Sunrider's_ crew watched in astonishment as the PACT fleet spun up their warp drives, disappearing as suddenly as they had arrived. The remaining PACT battleship angled towards the escape pod, securing it with magnetic tractors and dragging it towards their open hanger bay.

Watching helplessly, Kayto looked at Asaga's hologram. "Asaga... All this time?"

"I'm... sorry, Captain," answered Asaga, looking at the camera sadly, tears pooling in her green eyes. "I'm sorry I lied to you this whole time. But..." Asaga gave a big sniff and put on a genuine, if watery, smile. "This is for the best, OK? Farewell, Captain... thanks for all the fun times!"

Asaga's video cut out as her escape pod passed into Cullen's ship's hull, her transmission unable to send more than sound data through the hull and shields. "Cullen, take your ship to warp. If you try anything, I'll pull the trigger right now."

"BWAHAHA!" Cullen chortled. "You've got nerve, princess! Prepare to warp! Next destination: Ryuvia Prime! We've got a Royal Wedding to celebrate! BWAHAHAHA!"

Cullen's ship jumped to warp, leaving the crippled _Sunrider_ alone once again.

"Captain?" Ava asked as the CIC dropped into a stunned silence.

Kayto's hand balled into a fist, so tight that it hurt. "No... this isn't farewell..." he whispered. "Get our repair drones online," he snapped at Ava, the iron in his voice shocking her slightly. "We've got a wedding to crash."


	14. Wedding Planning

Asaga stared out at a reddish smudge of interstellar gas as it drifted along past the window of the observation deck, trying to ignore her two PACT escorts. Ever since she had been pulled off _Sunrider's_ escape pod, she had been under constant observation and guard, her every move tailed by at least two PACT soldiers at all time. Behind their mirrored visors and blood red combat armor, the guards could have been machines for all the personality they had. All attempts at talking to them or protesting their constant presence, even to the lavatory, had fallen on deaf ears, so Asaga had turned to simply tuning them out over the last two days of their company.

After returning to PACT controlled space, Asaga had been taken aboard the _Legion._ Asaga remembered the rock that formed in her gut as Cullen's flagship approached the super-dreadnought, docking as though it were a shuttle rather than a capital ship itself. The _Legion_ dwarfed anything she had ever seen, with the sole exception of the Ancient Ryuvian super-dreadnought, although _Legion's_ design was far more recognizable as a starship. Over three kilometers long, the entire ship was practically a flying city with the crew to match. Hundreds of Ryders, thousands of crew members, even its own on-ship manufactory, the _Legion_ was an amazing feat of engineering and human accomplishment. Yet, for all its crowning achievements, Asaga found the ship cold, unforgiving, and inhospitable. Its corridors were bleak and its crew no less devoid of personality than the drones which stalked its halls. In almost every way, the _Legion_ embodied the exact opposite of what she had found and grown to love aboard the _Sunrider_.

Glumly, Asaga watched the gas cloud blow past, free to come and go as it pleased. Giving a huge sigh, she buried her head in her arms, looking out at the view and her depressed reflection with one eye. When the door behind her hissed open, she couldn't even summon enough energy to care who it was, though his blustery tone made his identity very clear.

"Ah! There you are, my little Princess," chortled Cullen, smacking his lips, undoubtedly having just eaten something.

Asaga said nothing, feeling slightly nauseous at the mere notion of the ship's commanding officer, whom she had seen doing little except bellowing idiotic orders and stuffing his face glutinously with all manner of rich foods and drink.

"I was beginning to worry that I had lost you again! BWAHAHA," continued Cullen, laughing at his own joke. "Not that there's anywhere to actually hide on this ship. Guards! Leave us."

The two PACT guards saluted aggressively before clicking their heels and marching out wordlessly.

"Now then, Princess," said Cullen greedily. "We haven't had the chance to get acquainted yet. I thought some privacy would be just the thing."

"You're arrogant, Cullen!" Asaga glared at his tone, crossing her arms against his repulsive leer. "You would do well to remember that I am Royal Consort to Arcadius; certainly above your station. Now leave me to my peace."

"Hah!" Cullen threw back his head laughing, turkey chins wobbling. "Above my station, you say? No, it is you, Princess, who must consider your position. So long as you are aboard my ship, you belong to me..."

Asaga stifled a gasp and slapped his meaty hand away as he made to grab her, but Cullen's other arm came around, pinching her buttock. "S-stop!" Asaga demanded, doing her best to keep her voice dignified and imperious.

"The royal blood of your sad, little planet means nothing anymore and you would do well to learn obedience at the heel of the Governor of the entire Neutral Rim," said Cullen smugly, grappling with Asaga and pulling her into his bulk, restraining her arms and pinning them to her side. Asaga shuddered as he leaned into her neck, inhaling deeply and loudly. "Such a shame that you must be turned over to our Dear Leader so soon, my little flower. But..." Cullen licked her neck and ear, leaving a wet trail of slobber. "I'm sure a little taste would be fine..."

Asaga retched slightly, writhing wildly but ineffectually against the man's massive and revolting habitus. "Y-you filthy, disgusting..." she hissed, tears forming involuntarily as she struggled against his violation.

"I see you're enjoying yourself, Cullen," a man's voice came from behind them, soft and clipped. "A shame the same cannot be said for her."

Cullen spun around to look at the newcomer as Asaga wrenched herself free of his grasp and staggered a few steps away from him, heaving. "Fontana..." he said in a tone of distaste. "What do you want?"

The man named Fontana pushed back his shoulder length purple hair, revealing a piercing blue-eyed gaze underneath his bangs. Thin whereas Cullen was fat, Fontana was young and dashing, dressed in the finery of a high-ranking Veniczar as well, although he had elected to wear a tight-fitting and high-collared longcoat over a matching suit vest, shirt, and slacks, rather than the robe Cullen sported. Pulling an old fashioned pocket watch from the pocket of his suit vest by its chain, he opened the antique's metal face, consulting it studiously. "I merely wished to inform you that we will be arriving at Ryuvia within the hour," he said with disinterest. "Veniczar Arcadius, himself, is coming aboard the _Legion_ and will be assuming command of the fleet for the state wedding. We are to prepare for his arrival."

Cullen sneered at Fontana, looking out the corner of his eyes at Asaga, disappointment ill concealed.

"As a word of advice, Veniczar," Fontana continued in his quiet voice, somehow growing more menacing despite no outward change in appearance or tone. "You ought to show more respect towards the things you do not own and people whom you have no right to. Veniczar Arcadius is not known for his tremendously understanding disposition towards those afflicted with greed and envy."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," grumbled Cullen, slinking away towards the door. Fontana merely polished his pocket watch as the larger man heaved himself past towards the exit. "Now make yourself useful, get me the security plans for the wedding!"

As Cullen left the observation deck, still muttering empty threats and complaints to nobody in particular, Fontana let out a quiet snort of derision, clicking his watch shut and returning it to his pocket as he eyed the view outside. "I see our old Imperial is still up to his bad habits," said Fontana, looking straight ahead as Asaga glared at him from his left. "You must allow me to apologize for his poor manners, your Highness. I hope the rest of our crew have afforded you the respect and deference a woman of your stature warrants."

Asaga's glare slowly melted away as she calmed down, realizing that she had Fontana to thank for the timely intervention. The young Veniczar was something entirely different than any other PACT Veniczar she had ever met or seen; almost likable, for one thing. "Thank you" Asaga said slowly, having never expected to give those words to a PACT Veniczar.

Fontana's lips quirked up slightly as he gave her a small sideways glance. Turning to face her, he gave a small, courteous bow before turning to leave. "It was nothing, your Highness. Now, if there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Wait!" Asaga let slip the word before she could stop herself. Fontana paused, arching a delicate eyebrow at her. "My name's Asaga. It's nice to meet you," she said, identifying Fontana as possibly the only decent person she had met since being taken away from the _Sunrider_.

"A pleasure," Fontana said dryly. "I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other. Well then... my regards, your Highness." Giving one more small bow, he strode from the deck, his longcoat billowing in his wake.

* * *

Left for dead by the PACT fleet, _Sunrider_ and her crew took the risk of performing one additional emergency warp from the PACT ambush site as a precaution before initiating deep space repair of their traumatized ship. The last two days had been a hectic reminder of the days immediately following their flight from Cera as the crew worked almost non-stop to shore up their damaged ship. This time, however, their efforts were considerably aided by the use of automated repair drones and Chigara's expertise.

"...repairs on the ship are almost complete, Captain. We should be combat ready within the hour," said Ava, concluding her report of their progress, sitting across from Kayto in his office.

Kayto's quarters were a mess, just like the rest of the ship, but the smaller things would need to wait in light of the situation. Apart from propping the holo of his sister back up, Kayto had done nothing but bury himself in work, organizing the repair teams and seeing to the restoration of their systems with almost manic energy. "Good, and what about Ryuvia?" he inquired.

Ava pushed a holo across his desk, several reports open on it, each with discouraging findings. "Icari pulled on every Alliance string she knew to get us this information," said Ava, giving credit where it was due. "Looks like four PACT Fleets have arrived in orbit over Ryuvia Prime. The _Legion_ only just arrived with Veniczar Arcadius aboard as well. All told, it looks like Asaga's behind six hundred PACT ships and one super-dreadnought. Captain, saying Ryuvia's under lockdown would be an understatement; they've got enough ships to have one fly over each square kilometer of the planet every three minutes if they wanted to. It's not the kind of fight you go in and expect to come out... come to think of it, we won't even be able to get in without being sunk first."

Kayto tapped his lips with his stylus, choosing, for the moment, not to respond to Ava's blunt assessment of the situation. Ordinarily, everything she said would be true, but their opponents had based their entire defensive posture on the same assumptions that Ava had based her analysis on. If those assumptions could be manipulated...

"I know that look," Ava said warningly, giving him an unimpressed look as she crossed her arms. "You're about to say something I won't like."

"Asaga's a member of the crew," Kayto said firmly. "No one gets left behind. Not while I'm Captain."

"It's because you're Captain that you have to think bigger," pushed back Ava. "Asaga's one member of the crew. You have almost two hundred other crew members depending on you to make the right decision and a duty to protect the ship. Throwing away their lives on a suicidal rescue mission for a single person is not the best decision you can make."

"That's why it can't be suicidal. We need to have a plan, something to turn the tables," Kayto said, leading her on slightly.

"I'm dying to hear what kind of plan you have that could turn the tables on six hundred and one PACT ships," said Ava, pinching her brow with a feeling that she would regret it.

"Fair's fair," grinned Kayto. "Chigara, come in."

Chigara's hologram appeared in Kayto's office, taking a seat as though she were physically present. The girl looked utterly exhausted, with dark bags under her eyes. Her hair was unkempt and her face was smeared with machine grease, but her expression was one of delight and optimism, letting Kayto know instantly that she had succeeded in the project he had entrusted her with. "Ah... Captain, I was wondering when you'd call."

"Ava and I were just discussing our rescue plan. Give us an update from your end; what have you managed to come up with?" asked Kayto.

"Captain, the Seraphim... it's amazing! The Ancient Ryuvians had technology unbelievably superior to our own; I've only just scratched the surface!" Chigara's voice bled excitement. "If we only had more time... but I think I've come up with a solution. I've managed to reverse engineer the Seraphim's navigational guidance and targeting systems and piggy back them onto _Sunrider's_ existing warp drive controls. With the upgrades, my calculations show that we'll be able to make pinpoint FTL warp jumps, exiting with less than eight centimeters of drift from target coordinates and control over our exit velocity to a hundredth of a meter per second."

Both Kayto and Ava's jaws dropped as they soaked in the update with wide eyes. Kayto had expected the reverse engineering of the Seraphim's systems to yield an exploitable advantage to maximize their chances of a successful rescue operation, but Chigara's upgrade to _Sunrider's_ warp systems was unprecedented in the extreme. Likely, her refinements to their warp drive represented the single greatest achievement in spaceflight in the last century, at the very least.

Giving both of them a look of extreme contentment, Chigara glowed, savoring the thrill of discovery. "With our new capabilities, we could warp the _Sunrider_ with enough accuracy to drop a watermelon into a bowl in the mess hall. Well... if we had the coordinates of a watermelon... floating in space," Chigara finished her presentation somewhat awkwardly.

"Chigara. You are Amazing," Kayto said with feeling as the blue haired woman blushed brilliantly. "Get some rest, you deserve it."

"Oh no, Captain!" Chigara blushed even harder at his concern for her well being and waved her hands rapidly. "There's far too much for me to do! I still need to-"

"Captain's orders," overruled Kayto with a smile.

"Oh... well..." Chigara stammered a little, but beamed all the same. "I can hardly refuse an order, I suppose. Thank you, Captain. Chigara out."

As her hologram disappeared, Kayto turned to Ava. "Looks like we've got a plan."

"We've got pinpoint FTL capabilities, not a plan to overwhelm six hundred PACT ships," said Ava, shaking her head.

"We won't need to fight them," said Kayto, pointing to the Alliance intelligence on her holo. "Look, all of their ships are holding high orbit. The largest concentration of their ships is above the Star Palace, where the marriage will take place. They're positioned to respond to threats coming towards Ryuvia from deep space. With Chigara's upgrades, we'll be able to bypass them entirely. _Sunrider_ will drop out of warp right on top of the Star Palace, behind their defensive lines. We'll pick up Asaga and hightail it back into high orbit and make an emergency jump before the PACT can respond."

Dead silence greeted his proposal as Ava mulled it over in her head. Nothing of the sort had ever been attempted in known history, but then again, _Sunrider_ now had an ability hitherto unknown to history or science as well "That is the most... insane plan I have ever heard. If it were anyone else, I'd order a psych evaluation," said Ava.

"It sounds outrageous, but it'll work," said Kayto confidently. "There's no way they could possibly expect this."

"Captain, you do realize that even if we warp in and get Asaga, we still need to clear Ryuvia Prime's gravity well before we can emergency warp. If going in doesn't kill us, coming out might," Ava pointed out, ever the skeptic.

"One thing at a time, Ava." said Kayto, downplaying the issue. "We'll still have the element of surprise. That could change everything."

Ava sighed deeply, burying her face in her hands before looking back up. "You're as reckless as ever... but there's no dissuading you once you've made up your mind."

"Like I said," Kayto said with a spirited smile. "No one gets left behind while I'm Captain."

"Understood, Captain." Ava gave him a small, sideways smile, his confidence infectious. "I'll... be in my quarters, readying our battle plans." Standing, she gave him a salute before leaving, her hair swishing behind her.

As Ava left his office, Kayto leaned back in his chair, flashing back to the moment when he feared _Sunrider_ would be lost against the PACT onslaught. The warmth of Ava's hand in his own still lingered, if only in memory. Since Asaga's capture, neither had had time to sort through their own feelings, much less talk to each other about what had happened, not with the ongoing preparations for the rescue operation. Dragging himself back to the present, Kayto gave himself a mental shake. There would be time enough in the future to sort everything out, but at the moment, his priority had to be Asaga's rescue, not his personal life.

" _Beep Beep."_ A private communications hail from Chigara alerted his cuff.

"This is Kayto, go ahead," he said, answering the page.

"Ah... Captain... could I speak with you a minute? I'm down in Engineering," asked Chigara plaintively. "I don't think I'll be able to get any rest otherwise."

"Umm... sure. I'll be down there in a minute," said Kayto as Chigara hung up her end of the comms. Wondering what she wanted, he stood, stretched, and left his office.

* * *

"Ah... Captain," Chigara gave Kayto a nervous smile as she gestured him over to her office in _Sunrider's_ research and development annex, this time expecting his company rather than being surprised by it. A boggling assortment of electronics, hydraulic parts, and disassembled weapons littered the space, each representing some half-finished project plumbed from the depths of Chigara's mind and expertise.

As Kayto walked over, he noticed Chigara's smile fade, replaced by a more nervous disposition. "Was there something you wanted to see me for, Chigara?" he asked.

"Yes, um..." Chigara looked down at her boots, tapping the floor nervously with the tip of one. "I don't think I ever apologized to you about lying about Asaga... withholding the truth, rather... but still..." Looking up, Chigara waved her hands unhappily, agitated. "You know what I mean... I was dishonest with you." Straightening, she clasped her hands in front of her and bowed her head in shame. "So, you have my apologies, Captain."

"Relax, Chigara," said Kayto in a reassuring voice. His Chief Engineer's shoulders slumped in relief as she took a seat on the edge of her workbench's surface. Kayto joined her, pushing aside some gadget without any clear function to make space as he sat beside her. "You did what you did to protect Asaga, not to harm anyone on this ship. Besides, even if we had known, I don't think it would have changed anything... But anyways, apology accepted."

Chigara gave him a small smile, putting a hand delicately on her chest as the tension left her body. "Thank you, Captain. I can't tell you how much it's been weighing on my mind since... since she left..." she said sadly. "You know... it was a huge shock for me too when I found out Asaga was the Princess of Ryuvia years ago, so I know how you must feel. Please don't blame Asaga too much, Captain. She did what she did to escape a marriage to the Veniczar... I can't imagine how it felt to be betrothed to a vile man like that..." Chigara gave a small shudder as she finished speaking.

"You're right," agreed Kayto. "I can't blame her at all... being unwillingly engaged to a man like that... It's a monstrous thing. On top of that, the Veniczar is a madman at the head of a tyrannical dictatorship. He would never honor an alliance between the PACT and Ryuvia. It's just a superficial disguise over the PACT's conquest of Ryuvia."

"I've never cared much for the politics behind the marriage, but I know the Veniczar is evil." Chigara's face and tone hardened with anger. "He merely wants Asaga, the way a person would desire a tool or vehicle. She's a prize to be won, along with the rest of the galaxy, and the Veniczar will do anything to make it all his. Alliances, politics, none of it has any worth to him; only power and conquest. To think that her own father sold her to a man like that... Ooohhh! It makes me so angry!" Chigara pounded her desktop with a surprising fury Kayto had never seen.

It was as though a side of her none of them had ever suspected had been revealed. Behind the social awkwardness and quiet, kind demeanor, there was a certain iron quality to Chigara. The same mettle which had led her to create and pilot Liberty in defense of her closest friends shone through now and Kayto could see with clarity the resolve with which she protected those who were dear to her. The moment passed like the end of an eclipse, Chigara looking somewhat embarrassed by her outburst, but still wearing an expression of determination.

"Don't worry, Chigara," he said confidently. "Thanks to your improvements, we'll be able to get in and rescue Asaga before the Veniczar can even lay a finger on her. Once we do, she'll have the chance to thank you herself for what you've done."

Chigara blushed, giving him a tired smile. "I hope so, Captain."

"Tell me more about how you met Asaga and found out she was the Princess," asked Kayto, with curiosity. "Now that her secret's out, you can give me the real story, right?"

Chigara giggled, "I suppose. But it's probably not that different from the one you've heard before. It was years ago. Back then, none of us had even heard the name Arcadius and I was still a refugee from Diode. I got lost on my way to work one day and a couple of very nice gentlemen stopped to give me instructions. All of a sudden, we heard shouting from across the street and Asaga came running over, yelling at them. It wasn't... very nice..."

"Go on," urged Kayto as Chigara gave a sheepish grin, recalling their first encounter.

"Well... the gentlemen were, understandably, upset and things seemed to be getting out of hand," Chigara brought the tips of her index fingers together in a guilty gesture. "It was getting dangerous for Asaga, so I used my hair ribbon to stun the men and ran away with her before she could get into any more trouble."

"Wow... that was really different- wait, your hair ribbon?" asked Kayto, eyeing her hair ornament suspiciously.

"Yes," Chigara beamed as she took the ribbon off her head, flipping it over and revealing a slim module underneath it. "It's my own invention! It has a number of defensive options, but it can also play music, show time, act as a flashlight, clean hair, and a bunch of other things!"

"Umm, wow," said Kayto, dumbfounded by the device. "Just... do me a favor and point it somewhere else?"

Chigara laughed, returning it to her head. "Don't worry, you haven't given me any reason to use it, not yet anyways," she teased happily, finally seeming to feel at ease with him. "But what were we talking about earlier? Oh, right! Asaga told me that she was the Princess a little while after we ran away together. She said it so casually, I thought it was a joke at first, but when I found out it was the truth, I was shocked! But Asaga never thought of it as a big deal. To her, being Princess didn't define who she was as a person; it was just an annoying detail. You can probably imagine why, but she never really wanted to take the political role her family intended her to. She was always saying how she wanted to leave Ryuvia and go adventuring." Chigara's tone saddened as she continued her story. "It wasn't long before war got closer to Ryuvia. Asaga's mother passed away and her father fell ill; nobody was talking about anything except succession of the throne and fear of the PACT. Asaga came bursting into my apartment one day and told me what her father had done; the agreement he had made to the Veniczar. We left everything behind and headed straight to the spaceport to run away. It was the only thing I could do to protect her. The rest of it wasn't nearly as interesting; we became freelancers, working odd jobs to pay for fare to skip to the next planet. That's what we were doing until we met you, Captain." Chigara finished her story with a warm smile, leaving her happiness at the turn of events unsaid.

"Do you remember what you said to me when you first agreed to join the crew, Chigara?" asked Kayto rhetorically. "You said you would entrust yourself to my care. But the truth is, we all entrust our lives to each other. That's why we're going to Ryuvia to rescue Asaga, even if six hundred PACT ships want to stop us. Because she trusted us to and because she would do the same if one of us were about to marry a Veniczar. Get some rest, Chigara. You're going to need it for the next mission."

"Yes Captain!" Chigara stood with him, face determined. "I'll do everything I can to save Asaga from the Veniczar!"

"I know," said Kayto simply. "We're counting on you."

"One more thing, Captain." Chigara held him back as he made to leave. Fumbling for a moment with something in her pocket, she withdrew a standard holoprojector memory crystal. "Asaga gave me this when we first came on board. She wanted you to have it if anything like this ever happened to her. I have no idea what's on it; she only meant for you to see it."

Kayto plucked the crystal from her slim fingers, eyeing it's inscrutable depths with curiosity. "Thanks... I'll take a look at this in my office."

Chigara nodded and stifled a yawn, clearly ready to take Kayto's offer of rest. Walking him to the door of her office, she added, "Thank you for coming, Captain. I feel a lot better now..."

* * *

"Ah. Is this thing on?" Asaga's hologram tapped at something in Kayto's direction, a look of concern on her face. "Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?"

Kayto chuckled a little as the holo played from the memory crystal Asaga had left with Chigara. Typical Asaga; totally unfiltered. "Yes, I can hear you," he said aloud for the hell of it.

"I'm sorry, my responses are limited. You must ask the right questions." Asaga's face turned blank as she carefully enunciated her words.

Kayto sat stiffly upright in his chair. An interactive holo? But that phrase sounded awfully familiar...

Asaga's face split into a mischievous grin a split second later. "Just kiddin' Capt'n!"

"Damn," Kayto sat back, nettled that he had fallen for her trick and resolving to tell no one of it.

"Anyways, I hope you're the one listening to this," continued Asaga, putting her hands on her hips. "If you're someone else, you'd better turn me off right now and hand me over to either Chigara or the Capt'n!" Pausing, Asaga glared at the camera for a second before continuing. Face saddening, Asaga turned serious. "So... if you're listening to this, Capt'n, it means I've left the _Sunrider_ and I'm on my way back to Ryuvia. First, let me say I'm really sorry for not telling you about my identity. I'm really sorry I lied to you. Honestly... I thought what we had could really work out. I thought we'd be be able to travel with the _Sunrider_ forever and beat the PACT in the ass for good measure. But, if you're listening to this, then it means it's time for me to wake up from my dream. When the time comes and I go back to Ryuvia, please don't come after me. I know that's exactly the sort of thing you'd do, Capt'n, but this time, please... don't. I might not agree with what my father arranged, but he's doing the right thing. Coming aboard _Sunrider_ made me see that. You see... if I don't marry the Veniczar, the same thing that happened at Cera might happen to Ryuvia. Millions of people could die... what's left of our customs and traditions would be destroyed. Ryuvia's suffered enough over the last hundred years; if we take even one more hit, it would be the end of our culture and way of life forever. I've seen the look on your face and behind your eyes whenever someone mentions Cera... and I don't want my people to have to carry that same pain. If it only takes the sacrifice of a single person to save millions and the preservation of the galaxy's oldest culture... if that's the case, I'd gladly become the Veniczar's bride!" Asaga looked at the camera with determination in her eyes. "There's a legend we have on Ryuvia, Captain. Whenever the kingdom is in peril, the sacrifice of the Imperial Princess is necessary to save it. It's a legend that's repeated itself over and over again throughout our history and I'm ready to play my part in Ryuvia's history, even if it wasn't the role I wanted. I told you when we first met that I was a hero of justice... now, it's time to prove it." Asaga gave the camera one last look, her mind made up. "A hero doesn't think about what she wants; she does what's right for her people. Good bye, Capt'n. No matter what happens, know that I'm out there, rooting for _Sunrider_ and listening for news of you guys. Keep Chigara safe for me, I know you'll look after her."

With that, Asaga's hologram swirled and blew away gently, the memory crystal reaching the end of her recording. Slowly, Kayto plucked it out of the socket on his desk and looked deep into its clear depths. What she said was true, but hadn't she been the one who encouraged him to do what was right, not what was easiest? Appeasing the PACT by going through with the marriage wouldn't buy Ryuvia its independence or old glory; it would merely keep the PACT's hounds from tearing her apart until after the ceremony. Clenching his hand around the crystal, Kayto shook his head. "A hero does what's right for her people, even if they don't know what to do themselves. Ryuvia may have given up against the PACT a long time ago, but you need to show them they were wrong. You'll be Ryuvia's hero by carrying their hopes and the torch of your people against the PACT. You'll be the Ryuvian Princess who refused to surrender, even against all odds."

" _Beep Beep,"_ his communications bracelet chimed as he set the memory crystal down beside his sister's photo on the display shelf behind him.

"Kayto, go ahead."

"It's Icari, got a minute?" asked the assassin.

"Sure, come on up," said Kayto.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd come down here; I'm sort of busy," Icari's voice was a little irritable.

"Uhh,.. fine," Kayto shrugged, a little curious why Icari would call if she was too busy to come up to his office in the first place.

"Service corridor, section four on deck 2. Icari out."

* * *

Kayto wandered through the dark, warren-like service corridor that Icari had asked him to find her in. Ordinarily, only drones and the odd maintenance personnel would access this part of the ship as it was somewhat off the beaten path. The only real function the corridor had, other than the rapid transit of materials or workers, both robotic or human, from one place to another, was to house a number of _Sunrider's_ escape pods for that particular deck. Bright light spilled from one of the said pods, its hatch open; Kayto walked towards it.

"Odd place to meet," commented Kayto wryly. "Part of me was wondering if you were planning on spacing me."

"Don't be stupid," Icari said, sliding out from underneath one of the pod's control panels. Glaring at him, she ignored his proffered hand and rose to her feet. "If I had wanted you dead, you wouldn't even have time to wipe that stupid grin off your face."

"Funny," Kayto gave her a good humored smile. "I seem to recall you missing the last time you tried."

"I-I did that on purpose!" Icari turned pink and crossed her arms cantankerously and pointing her nose in the air. "Besides! It's not like I wanted to hurt you; I just needed to escape. N-not that I wouldn't have!" Icari's cheeks turned even brighter as she tossed her long black hair over her shoulder angrily. "Whatever, I didn't call you down here to talk about any of that."

"I assume you were going to explain why you were dismantling one of our escape pods?" asked Kayto, eyeing her handiwork on the pod's gutted control panel.

"You're going to plan a rescue op for Asaga, right?" Icari asked, her tone suggesting full well that she already knew the answer. "Chigara told me we were going to make a pinpoint jump above the Star Palace and crash the wedding."

"That's right..." Kayto said slightly defensively, sure that Icari would argue against it having seen intelligence reports herself.

Icari flashed him a roguish smile and patted the bulkhead of the escape pod. "Then you might need this."

"Wait, you're not against the op?" asked Kayto, surprised.

Icari turned pink again and took an extreme interest in one of her tools scattered on the floor, mumbling. "Well... maybe I've decided against my better judgment."

"Who are you and what have you done with Icari?" joked Kayto, although he felt his spirits lift. Icari had come a long way since she first joined _Sunrider's_ crew. Despite their rocky start, it seemed she had genuinely grown to care, going as far as taking matters into her own hands to ensure their success for their massively risky rescue plan.

"S-shut up!" Icari pointed at him threateningly. "I-it's not like I'm doing this for you or her or anything... I-I just want to stick it to the PACT, that's all..."

"All right, all right," Kayto put up his hands with a laugh and decided to let Icari off the hook while she still had some of her aloof dignity intact. "So tell me what you've been doing to the pod."

"As you know, the pods are designed for one way trips off this ship," said Icari, still a little pink at the cheeks. "Ordinarily, they'd drop their docking cradle once they've cleared the ship, but I've made a few modifications to the ejection sequence so that it stays on. Since _Sunrider_ will be right on top of the Star Palace, we'll be able to use these escape pods crash the party and get out without waiting for a shuttle or anything."

Kayto looked at the escape pod thoughtfully. Icari's idea essentially turned the escape pod into a drop pod, albeit one that would be able to return to the ship once launched. Given the incredibly small distance the pod had to fly, fuel wasn't the problem; landing was. "Icari, those pods clear the hull at almost the speed of sound. Anyone in it will get pasted the moment it hits the ground."

"I thought of that already," said Icari, waving a hand dismissively. "This pod's programmed to flip over once it clears _Sunrider's_ hull and activate main thrusters at the same time. It'll be bumpy, but the simulations I've run look survivable."

"How survivable?" asked Kayto suspiciously.

"Hey, these things are pretty well padded," Icari shot back. "Don't be such a sissy. Captain. Besides; we're either getting in and out fast with some bumps and bruises, or we could all wait for a shuttle and get creamed by PACT security on the ground; your choice."

"Hmm..." Kayto chewed on Icari's proposal; the woman was right. Even if _Sunrider_ avoided the six hundred PACT ships in orbit, they would still need to contend with the PACT security forces at the wedding. "And these pods can get us back to the _Sunrider_?"

"Absolutely," Icari nodded confidently. "Once we've got Asaga, we just need to fire the thrusters we used to decelerate and shoot back up into the _Sunrider's_ Ryder launch tubes. The hanger crew should be able to grab onto our docking cradle with the magnetic grapples and bring us on board just like any other Ryder landing.

"I'm impressed, Icari," Kayto gave her an appreciative smile. "This was some pretty sharp thinking."

"Yeah? Well..." Icari did her best to ignore the compliment. "I'm just doing my job, saving your butt and all..."

"How fast can you make the modifications?" asked Kayto, an idea coming to him.

"A couple of hours, why?" Icari looked interested.

"I'm going to assign the marines to give you a hand," Kayto said. "When we do this, I want some extra pods to launch. We'll fill two pods with marines find and extract Asaga and pack combat drones in the other pods to create a distraction and occupy security while we get Asaga out. Once we've achieved the objective, all teams will retreat back to their pods and return to the _Sunrider._ "

"Alright," Icari nodded. "That sounds like a plan. I'll get them started as soon as they get here."

"Thanks Icari." Kayto gave her an approving nod. "I'm really glad you're wearing one of our uniforms now."

"Hmph," Icari turned and ducked back into the escape pod, hiding from view. "I'm just doing this so that I can rub it in the Princess's face later over drinks. Now get me some help or I'll never catch a wink of sleep before the op."

* * *

"Captain." Ava greeted him as he walked into the CIC. "We're almost ready for warp. The crew's just making the final repairs to our systems. I've also been working on a battle plan, it's almost ready."

"Good work," Kayto walked up to her command station. "You might want to know that Icari's given us another edge," he said, filling Ava in on the mercenary's plan.

"I see..." Ava's tone was also one of surprise. "That might actually work. It solves a lot of problems on my end actually... I'll have to rethink a thing or two... was there anything else, Captain?" she asked, tapping her lips thoughtfully with a stylus.

"Actually, yes," Kayto lowered his voice. "Asaga left me a recording for us not to follow her."

"Well..." Ava arched an eyebrow at him. "Sounds to me like she has more common sense than you do."

"Common sense aside, it's the right thing to do," insisted Kayto. "Listen... Ava..."

"Uh... Sir?" Ava's arched eyebrow only rose higher as Kayto suddenly looked mildly embarrassed.

"If it were me... If I were the one captured and you were Captain, I know you'd smash right through the walls of the Veniczar's Palace to rescue me." Kayto looked at her expectantly.

Crossing her arms and giving him a humorless look, Ava twitched with what seemed like mild irritation. "You presume too much, Captain."

"Oh," Kayto deflated rapidly. "Ouch..."

Rolling her eyes, Ava gave a heavy sigh, perhaps feeling a twinge of remorse for her comment. "Captain, right or wrong, you have to understand why Asaga asked you not to go after her. Forget, for the moment, the fact that Ryuvia Prime is now the most heavily guarded PACT planet barring New Eden. Asaga asked you not to come after her because she's thinking of the greater good for her people. The Ancient Ryuvians were the center of civilization long ago, powerful beyond anything we can imagine today, but look at them now. Their empire shattered, their mighty fleets gone, their people clinging onto the very last vestiges of their ancient history... Ryuvia Prime is no more than a backwater planet now, trapped in the past. We had a member of their royal family aboard our ship for two whole months and not a single person even recognized her. But even though they may never rule the galaxy again, they do have one final treasure to protect; their legacy. And that's what Asaga's doing. She's asking you to let her preserve the legacy of her people."

"That's pretty much what she said in her recording," admitted Kayto unhappily.

"I expect so," said Ava with a nod. "But what she probably didn't say was what would happen otherwise. Why do you think the Veniczar negotiated this marriage? It's not for anything remotely like love, it isn't even for lust or longing, in a typical sense. The legacy of the Ryuvians will essentially be his to inherit after the marriage. Arcadius will ascend the throne, take the title of Emperor of the Infinite Cosmos, and use it to solidify the PACT's claim on the galaxy. Back in the ancient times, the Ryuvian Emperor was worshiped as a god; exactly the kind of power Arcadius wants for himself. What lengths do you think the PACT would go to in order to achieve that power? What do you suppose would happen if Arcadius couldn't take the throne through marriage?"

"I-" Kayto started to speak, but Ava cut him off, continuing with a grim look in her eyes.

"The PACT's now close enough to Ryuvia to take it by force, not that it would be much of an effort at this point. If Arcadius can't marry his way to the throne, he'd destroy it. He'd destroy Ryuvia to claim mastery over its domain and to instill the PACT and himself as their successors in this galaxy. This marriage isn't a negotiation, Captain. It's a surrender. An offering by a dying civilization to a rising power, hoping to be spared from the coming flames of war. If we go to rescue Asaga... we doom Ryuvia to the same fate as Cera."

"That would be true, if the Veniczar had any intention of honoring an alliance with Ryuvia," rebutted Kayto. "Whether the PACT conquers a planet or accepts their surrender, the result is the same; every planet gets cut down to size and stripped mined for labor and resources. Ryuvia will be no different and this marriage and alliance is a farce in all but name. We might not be able to save Ryuvia from its fate, but we sure as hell can save Asaga from hers."

Seeing Kayto's eyes harden with determination, Ava relented. "I know, Captain. And I know you don't change your mind once you've made a decision. I've said my part and you've listened. If it's still your decision to go to Ryuvia Prime, I'll see to it we have a battle plan to make this mission happen."

"Thanks Ava," Kayto said gratefully. "Get us ready to spool up and warp as soon as possible. Although I guess this means Claude will be staying with us a bit longer," he joked.

"Ugh..." Ava grumbled unhappily at the mention of the woman's name. For a moment, she seemed to struggle with herself until her restraint failed and a diatribe of complaints issued forth. "Captain, she's already made a complete wreck of the crew quarters. She leaves toothpaste and shaving cream everywhere in the female lavatory. She's spilled coffee twice in the lounge and just left it there for someone else to clean up. On top of that, she stays in bed all day and loafs around in her pajamas! The woman is a complete parasite!"

Ava practically trembled with indignity. "Why do all Ryder pilots have such crippling personality defects?" she demanded. "Or is it just the ones _Sunrider_ got? I can't believe we entrust fusion powered weapons to those people..."

"Looks like you've finally met your match," Kayto said with a sympathetic smile. "Claude's been pretty helpful, as a pilot anyways. Let me see what I can do; I'll go have a word with her."

"You can try, Captain. It's almost 1200, she's probably at the mess hall finishing breakfast," Ava said scathingly.

"Alright, I'll head over there," Kayto said in a mollifying tone. "Let me know if anything comes up; otherwise, take the _Sunrider_ into warp as soon as she's ready."

"Aye, Captain."

* * *

It wasn't hard for Kayto to find Claude in the mess hall. The woman had shuffled down from crew quarters without changing, sitting at her table in a shockingly pink and fluffy bathrobe with matching lounge pants and slippers. To say that she stuck out like a sore thumb aboard the _Sunrider_ was a breathtaking understatement.

"Good morning, Claude," Kayto greeted as he took a seat with her.

"Oh, Captain," Claude beamed at him. "Would you like some ice cream?" Holding her spoon out flirtatiously, she offered him a bite of her massive ice cream sundae, apparently her idea of breakfast, while she batted her eyes unashamedly.

"Uhh... no thanks," Kayto eyed the sundae skeptically, his pancreas practically shriveling from the mere sight of it. How Claude maintained her figure was anyone's guess. "I- do you flirt with every starship captain you meet?" he demanded with disbelief.

"Is that a problem, Captain?" asked Claude, giggling and making a show of coyness. "I only flirt with the cute ones, you know... and uniforms. I like men in uniform..." Claude's eyes slid out of focus as she missed her mouth with her ice cream spoon, leaving a track of melted cream on her cheek.

"Right... never mind," said Kayto, immediately regretting his decision to broach on the subject. "Forget I even asked."

"What's the matter, Captain?" Claude came back to the moment and gave him a disappointed look. "Don't you think I'm at all attractive? What's a girl have to do?"

"You're plenty attractive," said Kayto quickly, not wanting to open that can of worms. "But, come on, I mean, Ava would be after me with chains if I tried anything with anyone aboard _Sunrider_."

"Ooohh," Claude drooled a little. "That's just naughty, Captain. But I could see it, Ava looks like the jealous type. What's your relationship with her anyways? Ex-wife?"

"N-nothing like that," Kayto felt his face heat up; suddenly the stiff collar of his uniform seemed tight and itchy against his skin.

"But you two have history," pressed Claude, leaning in with interest, eyes sparkling. "Don't even try to deny it, Captain."

"We went to high school together, back in the day," Kayto answered, leaning back as far as he could, regaining his composure. "We were... close back then. Not that we were dating or anything."

"Unresolved romantic tensions?" Claude gnashing her teeth playfully at him. "Spicy. But that must make things awkward between you two."

"You don't know the half of it," sighed Kayto. "Anyways, it's just as well. I'm afraid I was never the dashing space Captain type you see on the holos."

"Mmmm..." Claude played around with her ice cream, poking and stirring it thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Captain. Just the other day I caught that girl in engineering staring at some security photos of you. Are you sure you don't have admirers on _Sunrider_?"

"Chigara?" Kayto's eyebrows arched in surprise. "You're making that up."

"Why would I, Captain?" asked Claude innocently, pouting. "If it were up to me, I'd keep you all for myself..."

"Right..." Kayto crossed his arms as Claude drifted off into her own fantasies again. "Well, I didn't come here to just chat about my personal life. Ava said you've been giving her a little bit of trouble."

"Beh," Claude dug into her ice cream with a look of supreme indifference. "That woman never lets up. Just because I'm staying aboard as a pilot doesn't mean I want in on the whole 'military' thing. I keep telling her if she doesn't take a break, her frown lines will only deepen and make her look even older. You'd think she'd be a little more appreciative of some girl-to-girl advice like that."

"Look," Kayto started, somewhat exasperated by Claude's attitude. "Ava's just doing her job and we need everyone to pull their weight around here, even pilots. Can't you meet her at least half way and try to get along?"

"Oh, Captain!" Claude exclaimed suddenly. "I have narcolepsy! I'm feeling a sleep attack coming on... now."

With that, Claude dropped her head into her arms on the table suddenly, snoring loudly and dramatically.

"Wow. Really?" Kayto gave her a big nudge to no effect. "Your ice cream's melting."

Claude continued to play dead, utterly ignoring him.

"Fine, have it your way," Kayto stood. "Just remember your pilot quarters are a lot more comfortable than the brig. I won't be the one letting you out if Ava decides to put you in there for a few days."

Claude gave a loud snore, but with slightly less conviction than before as Kayto walked away.

* * *

Kayto left the mess hall, rubbing his eyes as he walked back to his quarters, contemplating a few hours of sleep while _Sunrider_ made its way to Ryuvia Prime. Someone had switched all the lights off in the hall, plunging the entire length of corridor into darkness. The holo projectors on the walls showed the night sky outside the ship, giving the impression that he was walking in naked space, staring out into the dark and the twinkling of stars. Out here, on the very edges of civilized space, the starlight was pure and space, just so, stretching into infinite blackness punctuated by the gem-like radiance of stars. Cold and empty, but at the same time serene, the view was captivating, so much so that Kayto nearly walked headfirst into Sola.

"I-I'm sorry!" Katyo backed up quickly as Sola stood her ground, giving him a cursory glance out the corner of her eye before turning back to the view in front of her. "I didn't see you there."

Sola continued to look out, her pale skin and white hair glowing softly in the bathing light from the stars, saying nothing. Starlight reflecting in her amber eyes, Sola fingered her crew uniform's fabric almost subconsciously, as though she was reminding herself of something. Respectfully, Kayto turned to share the view, the two of them sharing a moment of quiet in the deserted corridor.

"You must be confused," said Kayto, finally breaking the silence.

Sola's gaze dropped minutely. "...It's dark," she finally remarked. "I cannot tell if I have truly awakened or if I am still aboard the Sharr'Lac... dreaming... It would be a strange dream indeed."

"You'll have to take my word for it, but you're back in the world of the living now," said Kayto pensively. "Although sometimes I feel the same way... Real life can seem pretty unreal sometimes. Especially if you'd rather none of it happened."

Sola contemplated his words for a few moments before nodding appreciatively and turning to face him, giving Kayto her full attention. "Did you wish something of me?"

"I know things were rushed earlier, but we never really had a chance to talk as much as I would have liked," said Kayto, leaning forward on the railing by the holoscreens, peering out like a sailor in the crow's nest. "I was hoping you would be willing to tell me more about your time."

"The life I knew was during one of the Holy Ryuvian Empire's most violent, dark times," said Sola in a detached voice. "The Emperor and the crown prince were killed in an assassination, leaving the throne to my father, the second prince. Crow Harbour, the bastard son of the Emperor, laid claim to the throne and gathered his forces. Others, seeing an opportunity to rise or seize power for themselves, supported him, plunging our empire into civil war, the likes of which had never been seen. For fourteen years, our empire tore itself apart, brother seeking to kill brother. Thousands of ships were thrown into battle, millions... billions of lives lost on both sides. Entire worlds burned. Our empire would have shaken itself into oblivion with the force of our blows, had drastic action not been taken."

"Drastic measures..." mused Kayto, thinking of the massive Ancient Ryuvian super-dreadnought adrift in the Mnemosyne Abyss. "You mean like your ship?"

"No," Sola shook her head. "The awakening of that ship. The Sharr'Lac. A weapon of unimaginable power, only capable of being helmed by a daughter of the Royal family, her fate sealed from the moment she awakens the Sharr'Lac. The power of that ship comes at the price of her own life."

"That sounds like a story straight out of legend," observed Kayto, unsure whether to believe Sola or not. Clearly, the woman was still alive and talking.

"Perhaps," Sola's eyes looked disquieted. "But our technology was based on science, no different or more magical than yours. Long ago, many ships wielding the power of the Sharr'Lac were built, bringing devastation to the galaxy that surpassed anything you can imagine. Planets could be shattered with ease, entire fleets wiped out by a single ship. We even had the power to collapse the entire galaxy into a singularity if we had wished it. Humanity would have destroyed itself, had it not been for the wise decree of my ancestors. The Emperors of old sealed the technology, striking memory of its creation from our galaxy. The Sharr'Lac was all that remained, designed by decree to only activate with the life of the Emperor's daughter. That way, no matter how arrogant, greedy, selfish, or short-sighted their descendants, no man would ever wield the power of the Sharr'Lac without second thought as in the old days. With that decree, our empire existed in peace and the Sharr'Lac's power lay dormant."

"Until you," Kayto said, the implication dawning upon him. "Your father choose to sacrifice you, even though he knew..."

Sola's face tightened as she turned away from him to look out once more. "It was a desperate time..." she whispered.

"From the wreckage, it looks like you did activate the Sharr'Lac," Kayto mused. "But you're still alive. How?"

"I..." Sola's face rippled with confusion and conflict. "I... have already spoken too much of this. Please, I do not wish to discuss this any further." Her voice was quiet, but her tone firm.

"I didn't mean to pry," apologized Kayto. "Could you tell me more about your eye? During the battle it was... glowing. I've never seen anything like that."

"Do you find me unnatural?" Sola asked, her voice as flat as ever. "Perhaps I am not one of your species? Or perhaps you fancy I am an advanced android."

"I-" started Kayto, unsure whether to take her deadpan statement as a joke or accusation.

"Fear not," Sola looked at him sideways. "I am as human as any of you. My eye is merely the product of millennia of scientific research. Genetic modifications and nanite injections. Thanks to them, my vision can directly interface with my Ryder and magnify beyond the limits of baseline biology. This interface extends to the rest of my nervous system; I can essentially become my Ryder, boosting my piloting and combat capabilities... for a time, at least. You look surprised." Sola finished her explanation with a blank look at Kayto's astonished expression. "Perhaps it seems radical to you now, but it was a trite affair in my time."

"You mean every Ryder pilot had capabilities like yours?" asked Kayto with wonder.

"No." Sola answered. "Our emperors feared what would happen if the masses ever wielded powers like ours. By law, only members of the Royal family were allowed to modify themselves as such."

"That's hardly fair or just," protested Kayto, surprised that the "enlightened" rules of the Holy Ryuvian Empire would have such a heavy handed restriction on their peoples.

Sola merely shrugged, once again declining to speak any more than absolutely necessary.

"So what now?" asked Kayto. "What are your plans?"

"I..." Sola looked more confused than ever. "I do not know. My time, my life... they're all gone. Everything has changed. The war against the Fallen concluded centuries ago and history no longer even remembers the victors..." Sola's voice turned bitter. "At the time, it seemed the most important thing in the galaxy, now... insignificant. Like me. I am nothing more but a relic of the past, living a hollow existence with no purpose left. I wish to close my eyes... drift into the darkness and become... nothing. As it should have been."

"Sola," Kayto said quietly. "You've lost a lot, maybe it even feels like you lost everything. But you still have your life. Most of us on this ship know exactly how that feels. But we carry on, fighting for what we believe in and finding joy with each other. You can rebuild the life you once had, find friends and purpose here, with us."

"...Friends..." Sola tried the word out on her tongue.

"Like family, but without blood ties," explained Kayto, not entirely sure if she understood the word or if the Ancient Ryuvians called friendship by a different word.

"I have never known friends or family," Sola said quietly without emotion.

"We call that being lonely," said Kayto gently. "But it doesn't have to be that way. I don't know what happened to you before you wound up in that tube aboard that ship... but what happens to you now is up to you. You can join our crew on the _Sunrider_ , find a place and a purpose for yourself again."

Sola turned away from him, hiding her face. "I have no desire for friendship. This life I have awaken to is cold and empty... but I have nowhere else to turn or go. I will accept your offer, not for camaraderie or to join your family, but because I have no other choice. For now, I shall remain aboard your ship. You may consider me a member of the crew if it pleases you."

Kayto nodded, taking what he could get for now. "Welcome to the crew, Sola. So you'll help? The technology on your Ryder is beyond anything we have now. We'll need that edge to save Asaga."

"The current Princess?" Sola turned around slowly. "My life still belongs to Ryuvia. Even millennia after my oaths, I am still sworn to protect her. I have already thrown my life down for Ryuvia and will not hesitate to do so again. Very well, Captain. I cannot improve your technology, even if I wished it, but you will have my aid as a marksman. So long as you face the same powers that threaten Ryuvia, I shall stand with your forces."

"Thank you," Kayto said with feeling. "But don't talk like that. This time, we're all going to come out of it alive. Watch yourself out there and make sure you come back home in one piece."

As Kayto walked away, leaving Sola to her own thoughts, her face rippled in confusion. Reaching up to the holo, she touched at her own simulated reflection, running an finger down her cheek and sending rainbow distortions splashing across her delicate features.

"Home..."


	15. You May Now Rescue the Bride

Ryuvia's Star Palace was an astounding feat of engineering, a relic from the glorious past of the Holy Ryuvian Empire. Suspended high above the planet's surface by a series of anti-gravitational lifts, the entire palace complex and its accompanying grounds, dozens of acres in total, floated like a mythical island. From on high, the Ryuvian Royal family had held court and attended to matters of the state for millennia. The pending royal marriage would be no different, held within one of the palace's hallowed halls.

From space, a blood red shuttle descended from the massive hull of the _Legion_ , it's teardrop shaped hull banking and drawing a fiery streak across the sky. Engines screaming, the shuttle sliced through atmosphere like a flaming meteor before its retrothrusters blazed and slowed its descent towards the Star Palace.

On the grounds, columns of PACT ceremonial guards, their crimson armor polished to a diamond reflective shine, stood in disciplined formation, their heavy laser rifles shouldered at attention. Across from them, the Ryuvian Royal Guard arrayed symmetrically, their resplendent robes and nervous faces reflected in the impassive, mirrored helmets of their PACT counterparts. As he strode down the central aisle from the palace entrance, Veniczar Cullen's girthy figure and bright robe was unmistakable. Beside him, Fontanawalked and eyed the shuttle's descent expectantly, wearing his usual and conservative dress.

Spinning to present her side, the shuttle drifted downwards, the heat of its hull making the air dance around it. Completing its descent, the shuttle hovered for a moment above the ground before deploying its landing gear and passenger ramp. With a hiss, the invisible door in the side of the shuttle opened, revealing its hidden seams; Fontana dropped to one knee while Cullen saluted, head bowed.

In silence, Veniczar Arcadius descended from the shuttle, blue hair rippling in the wake of the shuttle's engines, his slim and rather short stature completely at odds with the power he wielded and the cult of personality that had sprung up in former territories of the New Empire. Dressed in an unremarkable suit with a wine-colored shirt and the expressionless, pointy eared mask that he had become known for, the Veniczar's appearance was equally at odds with the splendor of the Star Palace and the decorum of the event. Two of his personal guard, nearly identical to the honor guard save for crimson capes that fell to the floor, followed him closely.

"My Veniczar," greeted Fontana, still kneeling, head bowed. "Welcome to Ryuvia."

Arcadius came to a stop in front of his two subordinate Veniczars, looking around at the Star Palace and the extravagant greeting inscrutably. "Rise, Fontana," he ordered in a high-pitched, computer generated voice. "This world was once the center of humanity... how the mighty have fallen. If only we could see the Star Palace as it was millennia ago, filled with the riches and splendors of the Holy Ryuvian Empire as it was intended to be seen."

"Hah! Fear not, my Lord. The halls of the Star Palace are plenty baroque to this day," chortled Cullen loudly, his small watery eyes shining with greed. "Jewels and gold on every surface, sweet meats and delicacies from around the galaxy. Shrimp cocktail so big I can't tell if they're lobsters!" Cullen smacked his lips appreciatively.

"Cullen." Even through the computer-filtered voice he used, Arcadius sounded disdainful. "Both of you, walk with me," he instructed as he strode past them, looking straight ahead at the palace.

As they passed row after row of honor guard, the Star Palace doors loomed closer, their finely wrought surface depicting the old glories of the empire, and creaked open, admitting the three Veniczars to the palace atrium. Above them, a massive, slowly rotating chandelier comprised of a hundred individually floating and glowing crystals twinkled, illuminating the richly carpeted and furnished entrance to the Star Palace.

"Gilded treasure. A superficial coating of splendor and wealth to conceal the underlying rot and weakness. This hall is little more than a shadow of its previous self, much as the Ryuvian Empire is itself," commented Arcadius, disregarding the spectacular scene with little more than a glance. "We are unimpressed by such trivialities. Tell us, how goes the invasion of the Neutral Rim?"

Somewhat chastised by Arcadius's dismissal of what he considered "baroque," Cullen hastened to answer and recover in the Veniczar's eyes. "Nearly complete, my Lord! The barbarians of the Neutral Rim are no match for my forces. Day by day, more of their worlds eagerly join our Revolution. Those that resist... well, let's just say our cannons prove to be more than sufficient reason to cast aside their differences and join our glorious empire. Nothing can stop us now, my Lord."

"Satisfactory." Arcadius turned to look at Cullen with his blank stare. "We never expected the Neutral Rim to be anything but a testing grounds for our forces. Their conquest and subjugation is but a formality. Our true objective lies at Far Port."

Flushing slightly, Cullen looked rebellious. "I have not forgotten, my Lord. Five of my best fleets are within strike range of Far Port. Those Alliance cowards have done nothing to impede our plan. By your order, my fleets can deliver Far Port into your hands within the week," Cullen declared confidently. "With Far Port captured, the gates to Alliance space will be smashed open, our forces will march victorious onto Solaris itself while the Solar Congress remains paralyzed by inaction and cowardice."

"Careful, Cullen," cautioned Fontana, his tone even. "The Alliance is different from the backwater planets you have dealt with thus far. Brute force tactics will not work against a foe that can match our numbers. Despite their political inaction, we must recognize that they will not be so easily defeated if we are to secure victory against them."

"Ha!" Cullen waved a dismissive hand at Fontana, drawing himself up and puffing out his chest. "By your fleets, perhaps. You shame yourself with your cowardice, Fontana. No force in the galaxy, not even the Alliance can stand before the might of my fleets."

"Very well," Arcadius said in a tone that invited no argument. "Cullen, we shall see if you can translate your words into results. You will take your fleets to Far Port and secure our beachhead into Alliance space."

"Thank you, my Lord," said Cullen with relish, bending into a bow with effort.

"Now, show us to our chambers. We wish to speak with our betrothed."

* * *

Asaga stared glumly out of the window, her homecoming offering her no comfort. Even though she was home, back in the same Star Palace she had lived her entire childhood in, its walls were cold and foreign to her. Dressed in a stunning wedding gown, spun from the finest silks imported from half way across the galaxy, Asaga looked at her own reflection with no recognition. The girl who stared back at her was empty, a shell intended to cover her true identity. Which was, of course, what the Royal court and the Veniczar wanted in the first place.

The chamber's sealed doors opened with a hiss, admitting Arcadius and his two personal guard before closing and locking with a deafening clang.

"Our beloved... are you ready for eternity?" asked Arcadius, his computer generated voice and impassive mask unable to hide the mockery Asaga knew he intended.

Glaring at the Veniczar, Asaga took in the details of her betrothed for the first time, somewhat shocked by the Veniczar's height. Wildly unimportant, the sudden thought that she was at least two inches taller than her husband-to-be with her heels on sprung into her mind. "Y-you!" Asaga hissed, incensed at the humiliating situation.

The Veniczar laughed, his voice setting Asaga's neck hairs on edge. "Truly, your father was naive to believe that such a pathetic offering such as yourself would stay our hand in bringing the Revolution to his dying world. Our Revolution shall make the one truth he has been denying his entire life self-evident; that the days of the old Ryuvians are finally over. We shall hold the fate of the galaxy in our palm as the emperors of Ryuvia once did, but that power will forevermore rest at New Eden, not this blighted husk of a planet. Once we have plumbed every last secret from this world, Ryuvia will fade into oblivion as it was meant to, outshone by the glory of our Revolution."

"Not if I stop you!" Asaga cried, rushing at the Veniczar suddenly, a concealed knife she had palmed from the banquet hall earlier dropping into her hand.

"Fool." Arcadius snapped his fingers. Before Asaga had even taken two steps towards him, one of the guards stepped between them and slammed the butt of his rifle into her midsection, causing her to double over in pain. Clattering, the knife fell to the ground.

As Asaga gasped for breath against the pain and fell to her knees, the Veniczar slowly walked until he towered directly over her. "Such impertinence. Your life belongs to us now. Your body, your mind. You will learn to serve us in time. When your soul has been crushed, you will be nothing more but an obedient dog, eagerly licking at her master's boots."

"Never!" gasped Asaga.

"Silence!" Arcadius snapped his fingers once more and the guard gave Asaga a swift kick in the ribs, precisely aimed and delivered to inflict maximum pain without breaking any bones.

Gasping and curled up protectively on the floor, Asaga struggled to stay conscious and keep her eyes fixed on the Veniczar, hoping her defiance would shine through the riveting pain.

"How cruel is destiny," remarked Arcadius, turning away from her. "That it is we who must suffer while a worthless doll like you holds a destiny greater than our own. But in mere hours, your destiny will no longer matter. We shall take ownership of that as well. And with you, come the keys to a power this galaxy has not known in millennia. A frozen shiver shall run down the spine of the galaxy, titans and peons alike will bend the knee before our might!"

Arcadius finished his speech, his high pitched laughter filling the chamber and roaring in Asaga's ears, giving voice to her despair.

* * *

The wedding hall was packed as the entire Royal court and various PACT dignitaries sat, each on their respective side of the hall, watching the wedding ceremony. Both Asaga and Arcadius stood at the alter in front of their audience with King Jalor in between them. Holding a scepter with a massive jewel the size of a grapefruit and wrapped in robes encrusted with crystals and precious gems, the King of Ryuvia looked older and frailer than ever, his weak, reedy voice straining to be heard by the entire hall.

"Honored guests, I, King Jalor di Ryuvia, sole monarch of the Ryuvian Empire, keeper of the proud traditions of our fathers a hundred generations before us, guardian of their legacy and treasures, welcome you to bear witness to this historic and precious day. Today, my beautiful daughter, Asaga di Ryuvia, all that is of value to me in this world, gives her hand in marriage to the righteous and honorable Veniczar S. Arcadius."

Jalor turned to Arcadius's blank mask, solemnly reciting the rites of marriage. "Does the honorable Veniczar S. Arcadius take Princess Asaga di Ryuvia as his lawfully wedded wife, to love unconditionally in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy and in sorry, to cherish and to hold for as long as he shall live?"

Arcadius's voice was cold and clear in the silent hall. "We do."

Jalor turned to his daughter. "And does Princess Asaga di Ryuvia solemnly pledge to take Veniczar S. Arcadius as her lawfully wedded husband, to love unconditionally in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy and in sorry, to cherish and to hold for as long as she shall live?" With expectation, he looked into her eyes, her sad expression reflected dully in his old, rheumy eyes.

"I..."

Asaga's voice quivered as she tried to force the words she knew were expected of her from her lips.

"I..."

The entire audience was silent, the weight of their stares pressing down upon her.

"Ahem," Jalor cleared his throat. "Then I do declare you husband and bride." Jalor stepped back, inviting Arcadius and Asaga closer to each other. "You may kiss the bride."

Asaga remained riveted on the spot, unwilling to take a single step closer to Arcadius. For his part, Arcadius simply tossed his head back, letting loose with a maniacal laugh that echoed through the silent hall. Whispers broke out among the Ryuvian Royal court, anxious and uncomfortable. Jalor simply bowed his head, whether out of resignation or shame, no one could tell.

"At last, our time has come," announced Arcadius. "We're afraid this game of charade is now over, your Majesty. Your pathetic and corrupt kingdom shall now be extinguished from the galaxy. All that will remain is our Eternal Revolution."

"What?" Jalor's hands shook with fury, all pretense abandoned. "We had an agreement, Veniczar!"

"An agreement made of paper." Arcadius's voice was pitiless. "We allowed it while it was convenient to do so. But now, Ryuvia has no more to offer us. We have no reason to indulge your fantasies any longer. Men! Seize our guests!"

With blinding speed, the PACT honor guard drew their weapons, unquestioningly obeying the words of the Veniczar. The uncomfortable atmosphere of the wedding shattered to a thousand fragments as their weapons whined, charging, pointed at the heads of the Ryuvian court. Powerless, the outnumbered Ryuvian Royal guard barely had time to put up their hands before the PACT soldiers executed them without a trace of hesitation, their laser rifles boring neat holes between their eyes. Anyone who ran or screamed met the same fate with equal prejudice.

"Y-you!" screamed Asaga, her shriek the only sound in the otherwise silent and terrified hall. "I knew it was all a trick! You'll pay for this, Arcadius!"

"Silence," Arcadius ordered. "You will now serve us, lest my temper be tested. You will cooperate, on the pain of your father's life." Nodding to one of his personal guard, Arcadius gestured for the soldier to level his weapon at Jalor's chest.

Asaga bit her tongue, a tear rolling down her cheek as despair threatened to consume her.

"The time of the Ryuvians is over," declared Arcadius. "For ten thousand years, Ryuvia ruled the galaxy, but no longer. On this day, the PACT secures its place in history and succeeds your empire and destiny. We shall extinguish the final, flickering ember of the Ryuvian Empire and inherit your title as masters of the galaxy. This is our future. This is our destiny."

"Hahahaha..." Jalor chuckled grimly, hobbling forward towards the Veniczar. The ceremony and formality had disappeared from him as he discarded his regal persona. "Empty words Veniczar."

"You dare-?"

"All my life, I have ruled Ryuvia," said Jalor, ignoring Arcadius and advancing on him slowly. "In doing so, I realized the truth long ago. All our traditions. All our rites. All our culture... They are but a sad remnant of our former selves, meant to cloak us from the inescapable fact that we have grown weak. You're too late, Veniczar. The Ryuvian Empire ended a thousand years ago. All that is left is embodied in me; a tired old man whose time has come and gone. Go ahead, have your man shoot. All that you have accomplished today is killing an old, frail man in cold blood."

"You talk too much. As you wish then," Arcadius nodded.

"NOOOOO!" Asaga screamed as the PACT soldier's laser rifle discharged with a brilliant flash of light. Jalor's frail frame shook as the energy beam lanced into his chest. For a moment, he stood, clutching his scepter with one hand, his chest with the other, before crumpling.

"Father... father..." Asaga sobbed as she fell to her knees by his side, grabbing him and pulling his thin body towards her own. Jalor's old eyes met her own and a bloodstained hand trembled as it reached up to stroke her cheek. Asaga's tears fell thickly, all the animosity and anger towards his decision to marry her to Arcadius vanishing in an instant. No matter what wrong he had done her in the past, he was still her father and, as his life faded from his body, she knew she had to forgive him.

"I'm sorry... Asaga," whispered Jalor, face pale and strained. "It was the only way... I never negotiated for the safety of Ryuvia... but he promised me... that you would be spared if you wed him. I had to..."

"FATHER!" Asaga let loose with an anguished scream and turned to Arcadius. "YOU!"

"Prepare my shuttle," Arcadius turned, unmoved, and began to walk away from the alter. "We shall return to the _Legion_. Seize the guests; they will now serve the PACT. We shall dissect this world until every last secret is ours!"

"YOU BASTARD!" screamed Asaga at Arcadius's back, beyond caring whether the man ordered her to be killed as well. "You'll pay for everything you've done today!"

"Oh?" Arcadius paused, looking over his shoulder with something akin to amusement. "We are Veniczar Arcadius! No force remains in this galaxy that can challenge us. Our time is nigh and we now have the keys unlimited power. We shall be unstoppable!"

Clenching her hands around her father's robes, Asaga buried her face into his chest for one last time. Gauntleted hands roughly grabbed her around the shoulders, trying to haul her to her feet, but Asaga fought wildly, straining to stay with her father and fighting against the inevitable.

A sudden wall of noise slammed into the Star Palace, shattering every window in the ornate hall and showering the stunned gathering with a thousand sharp fragments. Screaming and pandemonium broke loose; nobles bolted and PACT soldiers started firing. Craning her neck upwards, Asaga saw the source of the noise, terror and shock striking into her heart as nothing else had inspired that day.

"No..." she whispered. "It can't be... NO!"

* * *

 _Sunrider's_ CIC had plunged into red with all hands at battle stations. Kayto grimly eyed his control station's readouts as the _Sunrider_ shook jarringly; the wild and unbelievable readings from sensors making him more than a little nervous. Ordinarily, FTL travel did not permit ships to disengage warp under the presence of strong gravitational fields, much less make pinpoint jumps, but Chigara's upgrades to _Sunrider_ seemed to be holding.

"Engineering! Are you seeing these fluctuations?" demanded Kayto.

"Captain," Chigara materialized in the CIC, nervously wiping her brow. "We're still within _Sunrider's_ tolerances. So far, we've still be able to compensate for the gravitational distortion to our warp bubble. My simulations show we should reach our target coordinates in one piece..."

"Should... good to know," Kayto cut the comms to let Chigara concentrate on her job. "All hands, prepare to disengage warp!"

A digital countdown clicked down on the main screen as Engineering took the helm, the timing necessary for transition back to normal space too delicate to trust to human hands. _Sunrider_ rattled once again, her entire structure groaning as she smashed her way through gravitational distortions and eddies. Kayto gritted his teeth as the countdown reached zero, _Sunrider_ giving one final spine-rattling jerk. Holding his breath, Kayto made a full systems check on his console; _Sunrider_ had emerged in one piece.

"Warp successful!" reported Ava as the main screens activated, giving the crew a view of the splendor of Star Palace. "We've exited four hundred meters above the reception hall."

"All assault guns fire! Take out their surface craft and any other PACT targets you see. Prep the drop pods and launch drone pods now!" ordered Kayto.

As predicted, the entire PACT fleet had been placed in orbit, leaving the Star Palace relatively undefended. Aside from several wings of atmospheric fighters and surface gun installations, the PACT's military presence in Star Palace was limited to the infantry they had brought. _Sunrider's_ assault guns blazed away, shredding the grounded aircraft before they had a chance to take to the sky. Amidst the pandemonium and confusion, _Sunrider's_ offensive was virtually unimpeded as she fired dozens of her guns, adding to the panic.

Along her underside, several slots opened up in her armor as four modified escape pods blasted free, engines blazing. Rather than turn over, however, these pods accelerated downwards, smashing into the walls of the Star Palace and breaking through. On landing, they blasted plums of dust and smoke into the air before their hatches blew open, revealing interiors packed with combat drones. Having landed in four separate areas of the Star Palace, the drones were tasked with keeping PACT security busy and off-footed, drawing them away from the reception hall.

"Captain, the final two drop pods are ready to launch. I will lead the security team," said Ava, releasing herself from her command station. "You have the CIC, Sir."

"No, Ava, I'm coming too," said Kayto, slapping his own harness's release

"Captain," Ava crossed her arms and glared at him. "Protocol strictly states that the Captain is to remain on the bridge during all high-risk away and surface operations."

Pulling out her handbook, Ava rapidly flipped through the pages to find the regulation she cited. "Section 48, paragraph 8; During level 9 security protocols, the ranking officer must-"

"HELL NO." Kayto snatched the handbook out of Ava's hands, startling her with the iron in his voice. Tearing the book down its spine, Kayto glared back at her.

"Right this way, Captain," Ava quickly turned and lead him, clearly deciding any further argument was wasted time.

The two sprinted down the hall and to the sub-deck where their drop pods had been prepared. Icari stood at the threshold, tapping an armored foot impatiently, dressed in her yellow Ryder armor.

"Took you two long enough," she snapped as they all ducked into an open drop pod, joining a detachment of marines. "What's the matter? Did you lovebirds get into a fight?"

Any retort Ava or Kayto had for Icari was shoved back into their throats as the entire drop pod accelerated brutally as soon as the restraints snapped shut on the final passengers.

Shaking, the pod rammed down the magnetic acceleration track, sending sparks flying in its wake. Rocketing loose from _Sunrider's_ hull, the entire pod flipped over as soon as it cleared.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." groaned Ava, her face turning pale as the pod performed its maneuvers with no regard for the comfort of its passengers. Nobody else looked very calm either, even the marines behind their mirrored visors were probably struggling to hold down their rations.

The two drop pods with two security teams fell in unison, their rear engines pushing against the acceleration _Sunrider_ had given them to leave the hull. Their descent was far slower than the pods carrying the combat drones, but even so, the pods slammed through the roof of the reception hall, shattering a millennia old stained glass rooftop, at nearly eighty kilometers an hour before hitting the ground, showering the stunned and panicked wedding audience with dust and rubble.

Immediately, the restraints released from the pod's passengers and hatch popped open. Without a word, the marine squad piled out of the pod, charging into the dust cloud and forming a defensive perimeter. With a combination of hand signals and helmet comms, the marines fanned out, sweeping the area as planned. "Contact! Eleven o'clock! Drop site is hot!"

The staccato whine of laser fire filled the air as the PACT guards traded fire with _Sunrider's_ marine detachment.

"Captain," the squad leader's voice was professional and detached. "My men will keep the PACT busy, find the package and haul ass back to the pod."

"Let's go!" Kayto lead the way out of the pod, coughing slightly, eyes watering in the dust. Suddenly, he became far more aware that he was wearing nothing but a naval uniform and light deck boots. It seemed a gross oversight in planning that he had not thought to pull on an armored suit like the ones the marines wore.

Icari and Ava followed. Icari, apparently having the same thought as Kayto, impatiently threw him behind her as she took point, pistol at the ready.

"Asaga's probably up by the alter," she yelled, pointing an armored finger towards the ruin front of the ceremony hall.

"Take cover! We have a security breach!" Fontana pulled Cullen and threw him behind the pew unceremoniously before joining him, diving for cover as laser fire stuttered in every direction.

"Bah!" Cullen blubbered. "Destroy those drones! Where the hell are our forces!?"

"Fools!" Arcadius's high voice was cold and angry. "It is but a single ship; blow it out of the sky!"

"The fleet's in disarray," Fontana reported, his calm cracking slightly. "The nearest ships are beginning emergency descent, but they won't be here for several minutes."

"Captain! Over here!" Asaga yelled.

The three Veniczars turned to look at her in surprise, having entirely forgotten about her since the shooting started. Asaga hitched up her wedding gown and hurried towards the dust and chaos, running as fast as her heels would allow her.

"Not so fast!" Cullen lunged out from behind the pew with surprising speed for a man of his size, clamping a meaty hand around Asaga's ankle. "Oh no, your Highness! You're not going anywhere!"

Asaga teetered, off balance with Cullen pulling at one of her legs. "Eah! Let me go, you fat walrus!"

"You disrespectful little whelp," growled Cullen, wheezing as he kept a firm grip on her. "I'll teach you to-"

"Veniczar Porkchops! Let her go!" Kayto rushed out of the dust cloud with Ava and Icari, the three of them with guns drawn.

"Y-you! I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Cullen's face was alight with fury. Distracted by the barrel of the gun pointed at his head, Cullen's grip loosened for a moment, allowing Asaga to wrench her foot out from his grasp. Without hesitation, she brought her heel down brutally on the man's hand, crushing it with all her strength.

"AAAGGRRHH!" Cullen screamed. "You bitch!"

Not done yet, Asaga let up on his hand and delivered a kick straight to the man's face, taking no small pleasure in feeling his nose cave in under her foot.

"Asaga!" Kayto grabbed her and pulled her away from the writhing and screaming Veniczar. "We've got to get out of here!"

For a moment, it looked like Asaga wanted to protest. Kayto holstered his pistol and scooped her into his arms, having no time for a debate or Asaga's heels while _Sunrider's_ marines and crew were waiting for their return for extraction. Asaga gave a small shriek of surprise, turning a brilliant shade of pink, but put her hands around Kayto's neck all the same. "This is the Captain! I have Asaga, we're coming back now!" he roared into his communications as he turned and ran, carrying Asaga.

Ava and Icari backpedaled with him, sweeping their guns to protect the rear. A sudden shot rang out from above, drilling a sizzling hole into the floor over Kayto's shoulder; someone was aiming to kill.

"Captain! Two in the rafters!" Asaga grabbed the pistol out of his holster deftly, firing the entire clip, deafeningly loud as the gun barked only a foot away from his head.

One of the PACT soldiers fell, crashing down into the pews below, while the other dove for cover, pinned by Icari and Ava's cover fire.

"Uh... thanks," panted Kayto, running as fast as he could back towards the waiting pod. Unceremoniously, he half-put down, half-threw Asaga into a seat in the drop pod. "Asaga's been secured, prepare for extraction!"

"Roger that," came the marine squad leader's voice as Icari and Ava also piled in. One at a time, the marines disengaged, withdrawing their protective formation and pulling in the wounded first.

Kayto buckled in, breathing out in relief as the marines all returned, all of them still mostly ambulatory and definitely alive. "We're clear! Commence stage two!" Kayto ordered as he hit the pod's controls and activated its engines.

Roaring with effort, the pod lifted off from the hall, pushing into the sky towards Sunrider's waiting hanger bay.

* * *

Kneeling, Sola's short white hair whipped in the high wind as she crouched atop _Sunrider's_ hull. The entire Star Palace laid out in front of her as she looked out at the ruined building through a sniper's scope. Numbers and reading scrolled wildly along the rifle's scope as it attempted to help her compensate for the tricky crosswinds. Taking a deep breath, Sola steadied the high powered sniper rifle against her body, cradling it like a child as she watched Arcadius standing obligingly out of cover, screaming orders at his subordinates.

"Sola, take the shot," ordered Ava through her earpiece.

"Understood."

With a sharp crack, Sola's rifle fired, its round tearing straight through Arcadius's forehead.

Nothing happened. Incredulously, Sola fired twice more, once more in the head, one shot to the chest. The chest shot connected with something solid, blasting a tiny, floating device out of the air and causing Arcadius's avatar to distort and disappear.

"Negative hit!" Ava cried over the communications channel. "Sola's shot was perfectly on target, but... it's a hologram! Arcadius was never even in the wedding hall!"

"Damn! All forces, retreat, Sola, get to the Seraphim! We've got what we came here for," ordered Kayto.

* * *

The ride back to _Sunrider_ was almost as bad as the ride down, minus the end for end flipping. Still, when the pod finally settled into a docking berth, steaming and beat up from the excursion outside, its occupants piled out with relief.

"CIC! What's the situation?" asked Kayto as he helped Asaga out of the pod, her balance thrown by the outrageous heels she wore.

"Captain! Sensors are lit up like an Elder Day Tree up here; we've got two hundred PACT ships incoming on various intercept vectors!" reported one of the CIC crew.

"Engines all ahead full! Break atmosphere and head towards the first moon. Prepare to launch Ryders as soon as we clear atmosphere," ordered Kayto.

"Aye, Sir!" answered the crewman, the _Sunrider's_ decks shuddering as her engines answered.

Turning back to Asaga, Kayto felt a thoroughly unexpected sting on his cheek as she slapped him. "Wha-?" Kayto reeled for a moment before Asaga pulled him into a deep hug, one arm around his back and one hand holding the side of his head against her shoulder.

"Captain..."

"Umm..." Kayto gave an awkward smile as he drew back, cheek still smarting. "Welcome back?."

"You came after me..." Asaga sounded close to tears, conflict in her eyes, "Even though I told you not to..."

"You're a member of my crew," Kayto said firmly. "No one gets left behind, ever. Now listen, we're not out of this pickle yet. Black Jack's all warmed up and I need you out there ASAP, so get out of that outfit and into a Ryder suit. The rest of the wing's waiting for you."

Asaga's face broke into a smile, her first in days. Despite the odds, despite her protest, Kayto had brought the _Sunrider_ after her, not even six hundred PACT ships able to keep his resolve at bay. Deep down, she had always known he would do something like that and, if she was honest with herself, had hoped for the rescue against everything else. As she returned his serious gaze, Asaga felt something blossom in her chest, a sensation of warmth and strength. The way he looked at her, she was no longer the Princess of Ryuvia, she was Asaga Oakrun, pilot of the Black Jack and crew of the _Sunrider_.

Eyes swimming with emotion, Asaga brought her hand up in a trembling salute. "Asaga Oakrun, returning to duty, Sir!"

Kayto nodded, turning to return to the CIC with Ava. "Stay safe out there, Asaga."

* * *

Back in the ruined reception hall of the Star Palace, Fontana and Arcadius watched as the bright blue engines of the retreating _Sunrider_ faded into the distance. Cullen continued to whimper pathetically on the ground, but neither seemed particularly concerned.

"She's making for the first moon," deduced Fontana as he eyed a miniature tactical uplink on his wrist. "All forces are scrambling to intercept. My Veniczar, shall I return to orbit and coordinate our response?"

Arcadius clenched his fists in anger, his blank eyes staring up at the spot where _Sunrider_ disappeared from view. "We will not be humiliated at our own wedding. We shall slaughter them all, but the Princess... we shall have her taken alive. Death would be too lenient a sentence after the humiliation she caused us today. Still, it matters not. Her life is immaterial; Ryuvia is ours. We shall have the power to rule the galaxy as the Ancient Ryuvians did soon enough, with or without her. Fontana, see to the subjugation of Ryuvia. I shall take personal command of our forces in orbit. And see to your... colleague."

"Yes, Veniczar." Fontana bowed as Arcadius's hologram vanished, leaving only a floating projector which flickered and dropped dead onto the floor amidst the shattered glass and marble. "This is Fontana. Ready my shuttle and get a medic team to my location after they're done treating the critically injured." Turning on heel, he swept from the room, longcoat billowing after him.

* * *

"Captain, multiple PACT signatures from all vectors," reported Ava grimly as her fingers tapped rapidly over her command station. "They're trying to box us in."

"Hold course," ordered Kayto. "Lay in to slingshot around that moon; we'll use it to cut off the PACT fleet on our port side. All we need to do is punch a hole through their defenses and get to clear space for an emergency warp. Launch our Ryder wing."

"Aye, Sir! All hands, prepare for emergency maneuvers!" Ava ordered. "Ryders launching. Captain, entering firing range with PACT intercept forces. On screen now."

The forward screen switched views to show the lead PACT forces. Two battleships, a cruiser, two missile frigates, and a slew of PACT Ryders faced them, trying to block _Sunrider's_ escape.

"Damn..." Kayto muttered. He had hoped _Sunrider's_ unexpected tactics would buy them more time and confusion within the PACT fleet, but it seemed someone more competent than Cullen had taken command.

The two battleships were some of the PACT Navy's most intimidating warships. Larger than the _Sunrider_ , PACT battleships neared seven hundred meters in length, mounting kinetic projectile guns that rivaled the _Sunrider's_ Saviors in terms of sheer power. Along their lateral sides, the PACT battleships were aglow with charged laser cannons, ready to gut any ship they found range on. PACT battleships were incapable of launching their own Ryder wings, having given up the hanger space to add additional missile pods to their armament. Truly long-range superiority fighters, PACT battleships were known for their ability to fire endless salvos of missiles as they closed the gap with enemies to bring their kinetic cannons to bear. On top of that, PACT battleships were sheathed with the heaviest armor the PACT had available to their starship foundries and equipped the latest in shielding technology, giving them almost unsurpassed defense and offense among the PACT warships.

Fortunately, if they had one disadvantage, they were slow and ungainly. As the two battleships that formed the core of the PACT battlegroup were still out of weapons range, _Sunrider_ had a little time to handle some of the escort ships before they would need to worry about the battleships. For the moment, the PACT missile frigates and bomber Ryders represented priority targets for the _Sunrider_ and her Ryder wing, given their long range firing capabilities, but relative vulnerability. "Sola, just how far can your weapon shoot?" asked Kayto over the comms.

"Seraphim's weapons are not affected by distance the same way as yours, Captain," answered Sola cryptically. "Just give me a target."

"That missile frigate dead ahead, we need it taken care of," said Kayto. "Can you do that?"

"Easily." Sola's voice took on a cold, brittle quality. "Target locked, firing."

Seraphim's unusual weapon glowed bright blue, almost white, for a moment before discharging a slug of coherent light. Through some quick of physics the Ancient Ryuvians had discovered, the wave-particle duality of light could be manipulated to their advantage, giving Sola's weapon the pinpoint precision of a laser weapon combined with the devastating damage potential of a kinetic projectile, all at the speed of light. The result was impressive, to say the least. Sola's laser slug impacted the hapless PACT missile frigate, tearing through its decks almost as effectively as a full Savior salvo. On fire and chaining with internal explosions, the missile frigate struggled to hold itself together.

"I got this," said Icari, pulling to the head of the Ryder formation and emptying Phoenix's autocannons into the stricken craft. Even though the range was extreme, the few slugs that landed were sufficient to compromise what was left of the ship's hull integrity, causing what few lights remained active to flicker off, leaving the ship to drift dead.

"Bring the _Sunrider_ forward and cover the Phoenix," ordered Kayto as _Sunrider_ maneuvered to cover Pheonix within its flak range. "Fire Saviors at lead PACT cruiser."

"Saviors firing," answered Ava as the massive gun reports shook _Sunrider's_ CIC. "Direct hit!"

On screen, the PACT cruiser vented atmosphere and fire from multiple hull breaches, but continued to advance, having had enough armor and redundancy to withstand the salvo without taking a fatal hit.

"Captain," Chigara reported in, "Liberty and Bianca are engaging electronic warfare suites; shutting down PACT battleship and corrupting targeting systems."

"Copy that, all Ryders, stay frosty, the PACT's entering firing range," warned Kayto.

Predictably, the PACT fleet opened fire, sending salvo after salvo of missiles in _Sunrider's_ direction. Unexpectedly, however, the missiles were targeted at the Seraphim. Perhaps sensing the Ryder's deadly potential to pick off their advancing forces one at a time or intimidated by the unknown weapon, both PACT bombers and missile frigates as well as the PACT battleship, targeted Sola.

"Emergency maneuvers," Sola's deadpan voice announced as the Seraphim attempted to shake the missiles, her Ryder's movements fluid and graceful. Sunrider and Phoenix added what flak coverage they could, but the sheer number of missiles was overwhelming. Impacting one after another, the missiles scored several direct hits on the Seraphim, burning holes into its armor and crippling its systems.

"Seraphim, functionality low. Multiple systems compromised," Sola's voice betrayed neither strain nor panic as her Ryder reeled from the impacts.

"Liberty, move to assist!" ordered Kayto, deciding to take the risk to allow one of the battleships to rejoin the fight in order to keep Sola's Ryder in play.

"Roger that, Captain," Chigara answered, deploying Liberty's repair drones.

The drones streaked towards the Seraphim, providing thrust assist and diving straight into the missile craters to perform repairs on the compromised systems.

"Functionality returning," said Sola over the comms, mildly impressed that Chigara's engineering abilities could even extend to repair of an Ancient Ryuvian Ryder. "You may withdraw your drones; I fight alone."

"Icari! Watch your tail!" Ava barked as four PACT infantry Ryders fell into formation behind the Phoenix. Lasers knifed towards Icari's Ryder as the PACT Ryders opened fire with support from their damaged cruiser. The Phoenix dodged and weaved, but a single laser clipped one of its delicate "wings," hindering its ability to dodge.

"D-damn it!" shouted Icari as she flipped several switches and wrenched the Phoenix's controls. Engines flaring, the Phoenix suddenly reversed thrust, nimbly falling through the pursuing Ryder line and allowing them to pass to the front. "You'll pay for that!"

Before the PACT Ryder pilots even had a chance to turn, Phoenix opened fire with its autocannons, shredding into the thinly armored Ryders' rears.

"Black Jack, I've got your back, Icari," announced Asaga, also dumping her fire into the line of Ryders in a deadly cross fire. Try as they might, the PACT infantry Ryders were unable to dodge the well aimed shots, sustaining multiple hits and detonating as armor piercing rounds tore into their fusion reactor cores.

" _Sunrider_ , also moving to assist, tighten those flak fields people!" ordered Kayto as the _Sunrider_ closed formation with the Black Jack and Phoenix to form overlapping fields of fire. Assault guns blazing, _Sunrider_ intercepted and dispatched the remaining Ryders, completely neutralizing the first PACT Ryder wing.

"Incoming missiles, Captain," warned Ava as the PACT ships took advantage of the distraction to reload and launch missiles once again. "They're targeting the Phoenix!"

Dozens of missiles homed in on Icari's damaged Ryder, their white vapor trails tracking across space as she dodged and weaved between them, struggling to overcome the damage to her maneuvering systems. _Sunrider's_ targeting computers coordinated with Black Jack and Phoenix's automated flak defenses, catching the missiles in a series of cross fire patterns that cut their numbers down to size. Even so, two missiles passed through their defenses and struck the Phoenix, blowing large holes into its frame.

Dozens of warning lights flashed on in Icari's cockpit and an alarm started screaming.

"Oh shit!" Icari scrambled, grabbing the helmet between her legs and jamming it on, clicking its seal.

"Atmospheric integrity compromised," reported the Phoenix's computer in a deadpan voice.

A moment later, the cockpit hissed white as the entire Ryder depressurized.

"-nix... come in. Phoenix, do you read?" Kayto's garbled voice came in over the damaged communications system, voice only.

"Captain, is that you?" Icari asked hopefully, fingers flying over Phoenix's controls to see if she could bypass any of the damage.

"Icari!" Kayto's voice sounded relieved. "We're reading critical damage to your frame, are you alright?"

Icari blushed at the tone of concern, suddenly glad that the Phoenix no longer retained enough communication bandwidth to transmit her image. "I-I'm fine! T-this is all your fault, Captain!"

"Can you make it back to the _Sunrider_ on your own?" asked Ava.

"What!?" Icari slammed her console, venting her irritation. Everything about the situation was rotten. From her inability to dodge the lasers and missiles, to the legion of PACT ships in front of them, to Kayto's concern over her. Especially Kayto's concern. "I-I'm fine! I can still do this, I don't need help!"

"Captain." Ava arched her eyebrow at him, turning a pulsing red monitor to show him the extent of Phoenix's damage.

"Liberty, move to assist Phoenix. Task your drones to repairing her Ryder and have them provide additional thrust to compensate for the damaged maneuvering systems," ordered Kayto.

Liberty's repair drones detached from Chigara's Ryder once again, zooming towards the crippled Phoenix.

In Icari's cockpit, the red lights shut off, one by one and the warning klaxon ceased as Chigara's drones got to work. Even the atmosphere came hissing back as one of the drones sealed her cockpit and pressurized the cabin; Icari kept her helmet on, just in case the millimeter of epoxy the drones laid down came loose from one of her stunts.

"Phoenix, back in the game," grumbled Icari, still nettled that she required the assist in the first place. "Why aren't those drones getting off my back?"

"They'll provide additional thrust to make up for some of the damage," answered Chigara. "I'm slaving them to your piloting controls now."

"I don't-"

"Stow it, Icari," ordered Kayto. "Save your pride for after the fight. We've got work to do." Cutting the comms, Kayto turned to Ava. "Let's pay them back for that round."

"Yes, Captain." Ava tapped orders into her tactical screen. "All Saviors fire! Target missile cruiser with one salvo and the lead battleship with our other. Ryders, take the PACT wing down."

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors belched fire, swatting aside the PACT missile frigate with almost insulting ease and scoring a series of direct hits on the PACT battleship. Phoenix, assisted by Chigara's drones, and Black Jack gunned forward, dodging laser fire and riddling the remaining PACT Ryders with autocannon rounds. Drawing her anti-Ryder blades, Icari initiated Phoenix's close quarters combat protocols, cutting down a PACT bomber as she and Asaga chased down and destroyed the remaining Ryders.

The PACT battleship loomed on the main screen as _Sunrider_ drew in close, unleashing salvo after salvo of Savior rounds into her hull. The PACT battleship attempted to respond, but Chigara had jammed its guns, leaving the ship defenseless as _Sunride_ pounded into her hull. After taking a third, final salvo head on, the massive PACT battleship broke along its spine, unable to handle the hull stress. Slowly, the ship bent, dozens of internal fires distorting its superstructure like wax. Explosions rocked along its seven hundred meter length, turning the entire ship into a blazing skeleton, literally cooking its insides and crew within its heavy armor.

"Captain! Additional PACT reinforcements detected! Warp signatures at ten and two o'clock!" shouted Ava, leaving no time to celebrate their victory over the massive PACT warship.

"Ryders, intercept targets," ordered Kayto, rapidly tapping coordinates into his tactical station, designating the nearest reinforcement group, a missile frigate and two Ryders, for _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing.

"Damn it, Captain! I'm a doctor!" squealed Claude as she thumbed Bianca's weapons controls, discharging her scattergun straight into the chest of an oncoming PACT Ryder. The PACT Ryder's chest compartment blew open in an obscene recreation of human anatomy; atmosphere, armored plating, and internal machinery tearing out of a gaping wound.

"Wow... Claude scored a kill?" Asaga asked, incredulous. Shaking her head, Asaga grinned; the stakes were rising. "Black Jack, weapons free, targeting PACT missile boat!"

Black Jack's shoulder lasers traced harsh lines across the sky as they lanced towards the PACT missile frigate that just dropped out of warp. The lasers flickered through the ship's thin hull, cutting deep into the ship. Moments later, autocannon slugs from the Black Jack finished the job, smashing the boat to pieces before it had a chance to launch its payload.

Not a moment later, one of Sola's unusual kinetic slugs soared over Black Jack's shoulder, missing by mere centimeters, and nailing a PACT Ryder through the explosion.

"Hey, watch it!" shouted Asaga, startled as the shot barely grazed her Ryder, setting off dozens of Black Jack's alarms in consternation.

"This is Sola. Enemy craft down," Sola said, utterly nonplussed by Asaga's irritation.

"Captain, it's getting crowded up here," warned Ava. "We need to get out of here before the rest of the PACT fleet closes distance."

Kayto nodded. However many kills _Sunrider_ and her Ryders scored was immaterial if she could not escape. Support Ryders in tow, _Sunrider_ pushed forward, bulling towards the final PACT battleship that stood between it and the moon, leaving the softer targets for her Ryder wing. "Target the last battleship, fire Saviors as fast as we can."

"Aye, Captain," Ava answered as _Sunrider's_ guns lashed out.

Slug after slug landed on the battleship as _Sunrider_ and the PACT ship closed distance to nearly suicidal range. Firing almost point blank, _Sunrider's_ Saviors glowed cherry red as they fired at maximum capacity, gouging devastating holes into the enemy armor. Once again, Chigara's hacking of the enemy systems provided the edge _Sunrider_ needed as the PACT battleship was crippled, unable to retaliate as _Sunrider_ mercilessly fired into her side as she passed.

The PACT cruisers from the reinforcement teams closed, attempting to provide assistance to the crippled battleship, but their range was still too extreme, scoring only superficial hits on _Sunrider's_ armor with their laser weapons.

Armored plating blasted outwards as _Sunrider's_ kinetic slugs tore through the battleship's hull, smashing their way through multiple decks. Kayto could almost make out crew among the debris as atmosphere vented from the devastating rends, a maelstrom of explosively decompressing air that dragged everything not nailed down along with it as it blasted into the depths of space. Undoubtedly, each slug his ship fired killed dozens of PACT crewmen, from the direct impact, loss of atmosphere, or fires they started; for a moment, Kayto felt a pang of regret. No matter their ideological differences, those were still human beings he condemned to a painful, fearful death, men and women who, most likely, considered each other family the same way he thought of his own crew.

Kayto clenched his fist and force himself to watch as his handiwork unfolded. On screen, the final PACT battleship breathed its last, its systems losing all power with a final flicker. For a moment, the ship drifted silently, pockmarked with hull breaches, before its fusion reactor, no longer restrained to a careful burn, blossomed into a brilliant fireball burned through the ship. Without a backwards look, _Sunrider_ continued on her course, leaving the burning skeleton of the ship in her wake.

"Ryders, form up," ordered Kayto, throat dry. "Ava, get our warp drive spooled up. Slingshot us around that moon so close that we graze the sand!"

Additional PACT ships dropped out of warp, coming at _Sunrider_ and her Ryders from the flanks as she desperately plunged towards Ryuvia's first moon. Falling into formation, Black Jack and Phoenix each took one of _Sunrider's_ flanks, laying down suppression fire to buy time. Liberty, Seraphim, and Bianca all abandoned their tasks, committing their full reactor output to thrust as they raced to catch up with _Sunrider_.

Engines heaving, _Sunrider_ entered into a tight arc around the moon, close enough so that her rear engine thrust kicked up a dust trail kilometers long as she flashed over the moon's surface. Behind her, the Ryders followed suit, each banking over the moon's surface close enough to scrape the rims off craters as they passed.

"Engines reaching their limit, Captain! Inertial dampeners are barely compensating!" cried Ava as _Sunrider's_ entire hull groaned with the strain of accelerating in gravity.

"Vent all engine coolant, reserve pumps at maximum! Buy us a few seconds! All Ryders, initiate emergency combat landings!" ordered Kayto, as he keyed the controls to open _Sunrider's_ hanger bay.

Less than half a kilometer off the surface of the moon, _Sunrider's_ Ryder bay cracked open. Dust clouds billowed in the uneven wake of the starship and ancient rocks blasted upwards, pelting and dimpling the _Sunrider's_ hull. Running lights activated, signaling safe haven in the dust storm to the Ryders flying behind _Sunrider_.

The three support Ryders burned hard as they raced for the open bay, battling their way through the hailstorm of dust and rock and landing in a shower of sparks as magnetic tethers caught them and jerked them to a halt. No sooner had they entered, Black Jack and Phoenix peeled off of their vectors, falling behind _Sunrider_ for a moment before rocketing into her bay as well.

"All Ryders accounted for, Captain!" called out Ava, a trickle of sweat on her brow. "Emergency warp spooled up to 90 percent escape velocity!"

Kayto eyed the oncoming PACT ships, heart in his throat. Their weapons charged and his tactical screen screamed at him as multiple thermal spikes were detected.

"95 Percent!"

"All hands, brace for emergency warp!" Kayto shouted as nearly a hundred missiles streaked towards _Sunrider's_ hull. Laser light flickered around her, scoring hits along her hull and gouging new craters into the moon's surface; multiple fireballs burst all around them as the _Sunrider_ hurtled over the moon's horizon and slingshot onto the far side of the moon, buying itself the benefit of cover from the PACT fleet for a few seconds.

"Captain!" Ava cried as the forward monitor painted a new contact, hidden behind the shadow of the moon.

"The _Legion_..." breathed Kayto. "Damn it, they were waiting for us on the other side!"

Kayto found himself staring down the barrel of the _Legion's_ massive laser cannon once again as _Sunrider_ flew straight for the waiting super-dreadnought. How many lives had that cannon claimed since he had last seen it wipe out Cera City, he wondered. As the _Legion's_ main cannon glowed, rippling with energy, Kayto hit a series of emergency orders into his tactical screen. "ALL HANDS, BRACE FOR HARD TO PORT!" he barked, finalizing the commands.

Along _Sunrider's_ hull, volatile chemicals injected into specially designed hard points along the ship's hull, reacting violently in what was essentially a controlled explosion. Multiple armored plates blasted outwards like bullets as _Sunrider_ used her chemical sidekick to literally blast her to port and off the _Legion's_ line of fire.

Alarms shrieked as the lights in the CIC flickered on and off. The entire ship groaned and creaked with the strain. Shocking red drowned out the main screen as _Legion's_ laser fire missed by mere millimeters; hull sensors screamed at the unacceptable heat stress suddenly detected on _Sunrider's_ starport side.

"All safeties exceeded! Our hull can't take this stress!" cried Ava as _Sunrider_ slewed to port and _Legion_ desperately tried to realign the laser. "Warp preparations complete!"

"WARP, WARP!" shouted Kayto.

With one final groan, the entire ship suddenly ceased shaking, becoming eerily smooth as though the entire battle hand never happened. The burning red fading from the main screen as the darkness of warp space closed in and _Sunrider's_ sensor alarms faded into dead quiet.

"Stand down Red Alert," said Kayto finally, swallowing hard and mopping his brow.

The crew cheered as the red lighting disappeared in the CIC, jubilant and giddy with the mad rush of emotions and hormones that came with such a close brush with death.

"Wow... that was one _Hell_ of a wedding..." Kayto grinned at Ava like a loon.

Ava shook her head, but a radiant glimmer in her eyes gave her away all the same. "Unbelievable... That was... quite the rescue, Captain. I... can't believe we're still alive..."

"It's thanks to you, Ava," Kayto said honestly. "You came up with our battle strategy; I knew I could count on you."

"Th-thank you, Sir!" Ava gave him a stiff salute. "We'll be entering Alliance Space once we drop out of warp. Where shall I set our coordinates?"

"Lay in for the nearest friendly port," Kayto sighed wearily, what was left of his energy draining out of him. "Call ahead, let them know to expect us for resupply and repair. We've had enough adventure today, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes Sir." Ava agreed wholeheartedly. "Course set for Far Port. ETA, 18 hours."


	16. Brewing Storm

You really couldn't save a Royal Princess from the grasp of one of the galaxy's most hated and feared men, evade six hundred warships, and not throw a party afterwards. Kayto had just barely made it to his own quarters, desperate for some rest, before several crew members, Icari at their head, barged in and dragged him off to the mess hall, refusing to take "no" for an answer.

If the last party had been impressive, the _Sunrider's_ crew outdid themselves this time around. Liquor flowed almost as freely as the relief and mirth as _Sunrider's_ crew let loose and celebrated their victory. Even though every part of his body screamed out for rest, Kayto smiled and laughed with the rest of the crew, sharing in the toasts and making the rounds to give the crew their well-deserved recognition before the crowd turned too drunk to remember.

"Captain," Icari's voice came from behind as her hand slapped into his shoulder. Coming around to his front, Icari grabbed him by the arm and lead him away from the gaggle of crew he had been talking to. Steering him forcefully to an empty table, she plunked down on one side, clearly indicating he should do the same. "That was one dashing rescue, Captain. I wasn't sure we were going to pull the second part off for a moment."

Kayto smiled as she tossed her head back and downed a shot before refilling her tumbler. Unlike the ordinarily taciturn and reserved Icari that piloted the Phoenix, her inebriated state seemed much more upfront about her feelings. "Wasn't much choice except to pull it off," remarked Kayto modestly. "Asaga's crew."

"Captain..." Icari shook her head with exasperation, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "One day, that big heart of yours is going to get you killed... I just hope I'll be there to save your ass when that time comes."

"I told you when you signed up with the crew, remember? It might be harder, it might be deadlier, but we have to do what's right, even if it seems stupid at the time," Kayto sipped at his own drink. "Plus, the fact that you and the rest of the crew are there to watch my ass makes it a lot easier to go on the tough missions."

"Alright, alright," Icari laughed and turned pink. "You've made your point. I... I guess I'm glad I came aboard. But I'm still going to deny it when I'm sober."

Kayto merely shook his head in amusement.

"But you know what this means, don't you?" Icari asked, turning more serious and leaning closer to Kayto. "The Alliance is going to have to act after the PACT did something as big as conquering Ryuvia."

Kayto nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right... I don't know whether to feel good or bad about that."

"It's like I said at the beginning," insisted Icari. "What's left of the Neutral Rim doesn't stand a chance against the PACT on their own. We're down to the last few independent planets, and that's only because the PACT hasn't gotten around to them yet. We don't have much of a choice except to work with the Solar Alliance."

"The problem is what happens afterwards." Kayto crossed his arms. "What happens to the Neutral Rim if the Alliance does beat the PACT? The Alliance never does anything for free; we might just be trading occupation by one superpower for another."

"It's better that then bowing to the Veniczar." Icari shrugged. "You're probably right, the Neutral Rim might never be quite the same again."

"It's not any better," Kayto shook his head firmly. "I'm not letting Cera become a colony of the PACT or the Alliance."

"Well," Icari threw up her hands in a show of exasperation. "Hopefully the Solar Congress will be too busy debating something stupid to annex the Neutral Rim. Either way, that's way off in the future. Right now, we're going to need the Alliance's help to liberate Cera in the first place. Pretty ideas like yours don't win wars, Captain. Guns, like the ones the Alliance have, will. If the Alliance is going to fight against the PACT, we have to accept their help if we expect to win. There's just no other way."

"You're right about that for now..." Kayto tried not to sound too grim.

"Anyways, go have some fun, that's enough shop talk for now," Icari got up and gave his back a playful slap. "If you keep pulling the long face, even the booze will start to taste bad."

* * *

As the night carried on, Kayto excused himself from the festivities, finding Ava sitting by herself at the same table they had shared at the previous party. His First Officer sat with an untouched drink in front of her, propping her head up with one arm and idly twirling her long hair between her fingers, staring at the depths of the drink, looking moody.

"Captain," Ava straightened up as he walked up to the table.

"May I?"

"Fine," Ava gave an irritable jerk, but motioned towards the empty seat.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes as they watched the party carry on without them. Icari put down what had to be her tenth shot that night, nothing apart from the merest hint of pink at her cheekbones to suggest that the liquor was doing anything to her. With an arm clapped around Chigara, she whispered something into her ear, shooting Kayto a look across the room, her emerald eyes twinkling with laughter as she met and held his gaze. Chigara turned bright pink, waving her hands so fast they seemed to blur. Across the room, Claude giggled tipsily as she flirted with no less than six of the _Sunrider's_ more desperate male crew, each hanging onto her every word and laughing at her least amusing comments.

"Well, things seem to be going nicely..." remarked Kayto. "At least this time there's no arm wrestling."

Ava folded her arms across her chest. "Are we seriously going to have one of these every time we pull off a mission, Captain? I'm all for morale, but we're still military. There have to be limits."

"I know, I know," sighed Kayto. "It's just..."

Ava arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"They never got to enjoy the open bar at Arcadius' wedding. I had to make it up to them somehow."

Ava stared at him for a moment before letting the serious mask she wore fall. Laughing and suddenly looking far younger and more carefree than she had in weeks, Ava's eyes twinkled unexpectedly as she stirred her drink and looked at the celebration in new light, tolerating, if not fully endorsing, the festivities. "Maybe you're right... After all, they rescued a Ryuvian Princess, sank two battleships, and crashed the Veniczar's wedding. Not bad for one renegade warship."

"That's the spirit," Kayto clinked his glass with hers, both of them taking a sip of their drinks. "Speaking of the princess, have you seen Asaga?"

"No, I haven't," Ava said. "But after what happened to her today... I don't blame her for wanting some peace and quiet."

Kayto nodded seriously. "Of course. I'll try to find her, make sure she's OK. Don't let the party get out of control; I want the crew sober by the time we pull into Far Port."

"Aye, aye, Captain," agreed Ava as Kayto rose and left the mess hall.

* * *

Once again, one of the corridors leading away from the mess hall had been darkened so that the external holos dominated the view. Standing alone, Sola ignored any crew that passed by on their way to and from the party, staring morosely out at the stars.

"I should have known it was you, nobody else ever turns these lights off," remarked Kayto, sidling up to her. "We have an observation deck, you know. You could look out real windows, not these simulated holos."

"Captain," Sola said by way of greeting, ignoring the offer.

Kayto gave himself a faint smile, almost certain that Sola's preference to remain near the mess hall stemmed from a deep-seated desire for company despite her lone wolf attitude. "I just wanted to thank you for your help during the rescue. Those were some amazing shots you landed; I don't think anyone in our time's ever seen someone able to fire that far or accurately."

"Thank you, Captain, but it was all for naught." Sola turned to look at him, sadness etched onto her face. "The worse has come to pass, Ryuvia has fallen. I was powerless to prevent her fate."

"Not yet," Kayto said firmly. "The Queen still lives, Ryuvia's people are still alive. We'll liberate Ryuvia and free your people from the PACT."

"To what end?" Sola's tone was bitter. "My sacrifice was meaningless. In my time, the Holy Ryuvian Empire spanned the known universe. Humanity basked in our glory and radiance. And at the center of it, Ryuvia. Our world was the crown jewel of our empire; where all roads led, where the acme of science, industry, and culture had been achieved. But when I laid eyes on Ryuvia today... she was nothing more than a backwater planet, no more developed than our most distant border planets, forgotten by the galaxy and conquered so easily by barbarians... Ryuvia is dead, Captain."

"Your sacrifice was not in vain," insisted Kayto, a little shocked by Sola's harsh point of view. "For millennia after your sacrifice, the Ryuvian Empire's flame burned bright. It's likely they surpassed even what you remember of their glory. It was only in the last four hundred years that Ryuvia weakened. Our scholars believe infighting within the Royal Court lead to some kind of cataclysmic event or war. But even so, your sacrifice bought your people one thousand years of peace and prosperity. How could that have not meant anything?"

Sola turned quiet as she contemplated the sky once again, thinking on Kayto's words. "My sacrifice merely delayed the moment where we sabotaged our own Empire and caused our own demise, Captain. Nothing more... leave me. I wish solitude."

"Sola..." Kayto felt tempted to put a hand on her shoulder, but the woman's cold gaze suggested it would be a mistake. "You don't have to be alone, Sola. Everyone on this crew knows what it feels like to lose a home... we want to be there for you."

Without even looking at him, Sola continued to stare firmly out at the night sky. With an inward sigh, Kayto did his best to give her a small smile and walked away, respecting her wishes.

* * *

Making his way to the crew quarters, Kayto found Asaga's assigned room with the pilot quarters. Knocking on her door, he called out. "Asaga? It's Kayto. Do you have a moment?"

The door's lock clicked and it opened. "Uh, how's it going, Capt'n?" asked Asaga, inviting him in.

"Fine... I just wanted to talk to you about what happened at Ryuvia," explained Kayto.

"You must have so many questions," sighed Asaga, taking a seat wearily on her bed. "First, I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about my identity right away... I never meant to put the crew in any danger, I just... honestly, I thought I could keep running and the day would never come. I guess real life doesn't work like that, huh?"

"That doesn't matter now, Asaga," Kayto shook his head. "We're just glad you're back now. How are you feeling? Do you want to talk about what happened at the wedding?"

Asaga's face turned sad as she flashed back to the events in the Star Palace. "My father... I can't believe he's gone... Even though I hated him for what he agreed to, it turns out he was only trying to protect me the best he could. I... I hope I made things right again before he left..."

Her resolve stiffening, Asaga's eyes regained at least part of their usual spark. "But I'm not the type to get all depressed, don't worry, Capt'n. I'll fight the PACT to avenge for my father. So long as I've got mah Black Jack, I'll keep fighting in his memory."

"I'm glad you're being strong about this, but remember, everyone's here for you. You don't have to carry anything alone," said Kayto, his concern only slightly relieved.

"I'm fine, Capt'n, really," insisted Asaga.

"Tell me more about Arcadius. Did you learn anything about him?" asked Kayto.

Asaga shook her head. "I'm sorry, Capt'n, there really isn't anything new to say. Other than spouting some stuff about lost technology and destiny, he didn't really say anything. I think he's always dreamed of conquering Ryuvia; he's obsessed with our lost technology and has been amassing a collection of ancient Ryuvian artifacts on New Eden. The last thing I heard him say was that he wanted to take Ryuvia apart looking for more... I can't even begin to say what he wants all of it for."

Kayto frowned unhappily. "Not for ending galactic hunger, that's for sure. If Arcadius does manage to find the right kind of lost technology, it would be devastating for everyone else in the galaxy. We'll need to stop him before he becomes unstoppable."

Asaga nodded, but stayed silent, having nothing more to add to the conversation.

"So..." Kayto gave a small, more lighthearted smile. "You're Queen of Ryuvia now... We're honored to have you aboard, your Majesty. What are your plans now?"

"Stop it!" Asaga laughed and threw her pillow at his face. "Ugh... I don't even want to think about being called that... I'm through with being royalty, Capt'n... I was never really fit for it or wanted it anyways."

"Well, you've got a right to choose your life," remarked Kayto.

"Ryuvia's been ruled by a monarch for too long," Asaga sighed. "Look where it's gotten us. It's time for Ryuvia to move on, away from an archaic system that's done nothing but continue our decay. As soon as all this is over, I'm abdicating. Nobody needs Kings and Queens anymore, Capt'n, my people need to take responsibility for their own lives and make Ryuvia strong for themselves."

Kayto nodded, giving Asaga an encouraging smile. "That's a pretty courageous decision; Ryuvia's lucky to have a Queen like you... You're right, that's probably the best thing you can do for your people now, but they'll still need guidance; it won't be an overnight process."

"Yeah, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," Asaga waved him off and flopped onto her bed, sprawling out happily.

"You look beat," Kayto rose. "Thanks for the time, take care OK? I'm glad you're back."

"So am I. Thanks for coming to check on me, Capt'n," Asaga said, waving at him as he turned and left.

* * *

Far Port hung large on Kayto's room holowindows, it's soft, sea-green marble texture reflecting sunlight brilliantly as _Sunrider_ made her final approach to orbit. A oceanic class 5 world, Far Port was not the most hospitable of planets. Almost entirely covered by water, there was little solid land to speak of; most of it only temporarily poking out from under the ocean as tides ebbed and flowed. On the surface, deadly ozone concentrations and suffocating humidity necessitated the use of breathing gear at all times when outside of hermetically sealed colonies that dotted the world below. Most of the planetary structures dated back to the Ancient Ryuvian era, now decayed and falling into the ocean, uninhabited and poorly maintained. Apart from some odd research interests and a series of uninteresting bioproducts harvested from the oceans, Far Port had little to offer the rest of the galaxy.

What made Far Port a world worthy of mention, however, was not economic in nature, but navigational. Warp travel was incredibly sensitive to gravitational influences; even in the higher level of space-time that starships traveled in to achieve FTL travel in normal three dimensional space was subject to local gravitational distortions. Typically, these distortions resulted in the unpredictable but manageable drift effect, however, if they became strong enough, could threaten to distort a warp bubble sufficiently to force a ship out of warp.

The space for light years around Far Port was fraught with black holes and other super-dense astronomic phenomenon, ranging from dead pulsars to neutron stars. Miraculously, Far Port's star had avoided the super-violent deaths of its neighbors early in galactic history, maintaining a narrow corridor through which ships were forced to pass if they wished to gain access to either side of the natural stellar barriers to warp travel, the only other alternative being a several year detour to clear space.

For this reason, Far Port had commanded an important presence during the days of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, where it regulated and taxed trade flowing from Ryuvia Prime and the outer rim planets to the core of the galaxy and the Far Rim, where the Solar Alliance was now situated. During times of war, Far Port also served as a logical "gate" world for the Holy Ryuvian Empire, protecting their planets from the barbarians of the Far Rim. Safe behind Far Port, Ryuvia Prime held steadfast against any external threats to her empire, until the New Empire's rise on New Eden.

During the Ryuvian wars, the New Empire, having already spread across most of the known galaxy, conquered Far Port from the decaying Ryuvian Empire, stripping it of its final and most cherished external territory, a reminder of their former glories. Far Port yet again changed hands when the newly emerged Solar Alliance pushed the Imperial fleets back from the fortress world in a coordinated assault with what remained of Ryuvia's once proud fleets. Hundreds of ships were lost on each side, but the Solar Alliance emerged triumphant. Once in control over Far Port, however, the Alliance refused to withdraw their ships from Far Port, its strategic value in holding back the New Empire and any other external threats to the core worlds of the Alliance outweighing their relationships with the Ryuvian Empire. The Ryuvians, having committed their remaining strength to the battle, were powerless when the Solar Alliance declared Far Port to be Alliance territory in a shocking betrayal of the understood terms of the short lived pact between the Ryuvian Empire and the Solar Alliance. To this day, Ryuvian-Alliance diplomatic relations remained cold and strained over the issue of Far Port and its Alliance garrison.

Kayto sat at his desk, reviewing the Alliance public datafeeds from Far Port as _Sunrider_ approached the watery planet. The news holos were abuzz with news of Ryuvia Prime's fall to the PACT. Political pundits from both sides of the Solar Congress were locked in endless debate on every channel, spouting political rhetoric and demanding action. The fall of the Ryuvian Empire was a monumental, if predictable occasion, marking the end of ten thousand years of history and leaving the PACT and Solar Alliance as the last two powers remaining in the galaxy.

More than that, Ryuvia's fall underscored the PACT intentions in a way no Neutral Rim world's conquest could, making it difficult for even the staunchest Progress Party senators to argue that appeasement and avoidance of conflict was a sustainable course of action. Now, with the PACT literally at the gates, the Solar Congress had declared an emergency session to debate the proper course of action.

"Our only choice is to declare war!" declared some Alliance senator on Kayto's holo as he watched the newsfeed. The man was portly, dressed in an expensive suit, and utterly indistinguishable from his hundreds of colleagues. For a so-called democracy, the Solar Congress seemed to be nothing more than the typical "boy's club," of fat men with too much money and time, only distinguishable by the color of tie they chose to wear and the kind of mindless rhetoric they chose to repeat. "Our honorable allies, the Ryuvian Empire, lay vanquished, dozens of Neutral Rim planets cry out for our help. Shall we turn away from our duty and honor? Shall we let the PACT storm our gates and take our planets one at a time? The United Universalists say no; no to the PACT imperialism and no to the threat to our security they pose. It is time, citizens of the Solar Alliance, to once again take up the mantle of freedom and justice in the galaxy, to defeat the PACT as we did the New Empire, and to bring hope to the downtrodden. Thank you." The Senator bowed as deeply as his gut would allow, stepping off stage to thunderous applause from half of the congress while a nearly identical Progress Party senator stepped up for an equally meaningless rebuttal.

"Why don't you just tear off your shirts and run on sex appeal?" muttered Kayto, turning off the holo in disgust. He had never had much stomach for galactic politics, unlike Ava who could watch and analyze speech after speech with rapt attention. To him, the entire show was a farce; there was almost no way the Solar Alliance could avoid war at this point, however, both parties were now maneuvering around each other, using the issue to angle and play Alliance citizenry into their hands for the coming presidential elections; the only thing more important to Alliance politics than the PACT invasion.

Although the Alliance's pending involvement in the war was almost certain, the Neutral Rim's fate and Cera's remained anything but. Kayto felt a prickle of discomfort as he contemplated the precarious situation _Sunrider_ and her crew found themselves in; trapped between two galactic superpowers in the biggest galactic conflict in over a century. Although some would undoubtedly take the Alliance's intervention as a sign of hope, Kayto was not so sure. The Alliance, as always, would have its own agenda and, if he had learned anything from talking politics with Ava, that meant finding some profit in dispensing "aid," to the Neutral Rim.

What was best for the Solar Alliance was not necessarily what would be best for _Sunrider's_ crew or Cera, a fact he intended to keep in the back of his mind as _Sunrider_ continued her delicate relationship with the Alliance. For now, as their enemy's enemy, the Alliance was _Sunrider's_ natural ally, but, if Far Port was any indication, the greed and convenience that characterized the Alliance for so many of the Neutral Rim's citizenry could rear its ugly head at any time. On that day, Kayto mused grimly, _Sunrider_ would need to be ready for anything.

Kayto's thoughts were interrupted as his door chimed, admitting Ava.

"Captain, incoming transmission from Admiral Grey," she said as the door closed behind her.

"I see..." Kayto couldn't decide whether to be smug or offended. "I'm surprised he'd want anything to do with us after Versta."

"Officially, nothing out of the ordinary happened there, I'm sure," shrugged Ava, disillusioned. "That's just how these games work, Kayto. Now that the Alliance is going to declare war against the PACT, they're probably interested in any assets they can get their hands on, _Sunrider_ included."

"Only one way to find out," said Kayto, keying the controls to his office's FTL communication suite. "Let's hear it from the horse's mouth."

Admiral Grey's avatar condensed in front of them, joining Kayto and Ava at his desk. "Captain, a pleasure to see you again," he said by way of greeting.

"Admiral." Kayto's tone was just a degree cooler than merely professional.

"Word of your daring rescue of the Princess has been the talk of the entire Solar Alliance. I must say, I'm impressed that you survived the attempt; it seems you're making quite the career out of impossible feats."

"You're too kind, Admiral," Kayto said, unsure if he liked the Admiral's tone. "I had one hell of a team; they're the ones that made it all possible to begin with."

"Of course," Admiral Grey's mustache twitched with amusement before his features hardened with seriousness. "Alas, your feat against the PACT, as impressive as it was, is but a silver lining in an otherwise unfortunate and difficult development. The Princess's rescue changes nothing with regards to the PACT invasion of the Neutral Rim and our current strategic situation. With the fall of Ryuvia, the PACT is now poised to strike at Far Port, the entry way into Alliance space. Should they take Far Port, our simulations show that they will overrun at least five core systems before we can even muster our forces."

"How can that be possible?" demanded Kayto. "The Alliance has hundreds of ships; don't tell me you didn't see this coming!"

"You have President Alythe's policies and executive orders to thank for that," growled Grey. "War has not been fought in Alliance space for a hundred years. The years of peace have allowed us to grow soft; neglect and bureaucracy have taken their toll on our once proud fleets. The situation is such that many of our ships have not even been manned for decades and our supply lines lay scattered across Alliance space with little unifying central command. If the PACT were to gain access to Alliance space, sheer, bloody panic might break loose; we could lose the war before it has even truly started. Captain, we must hold Far Port if the Alliance is to have any chance of bringing its strength to bear in this war effort. A PACT incursion of Alliance space is not an option."

Kayto felt a heavy feeling settle in his gut as he realized what Admiral Grey was asking of the _Sunrider_ and the weight of the request _._ "I see... _Sunrider_ is making for Far Port as we speak for repairs and resupply. I'm guessing you want us to join the defense."

Grey nodded solemnly. "I've already scrambled four of our closest fleets to make for Far Port with all haste to join the defense, but I will not mince words about the situation; things do not look good. Of the dispatched fleets, only the Second Fleet will likely arrive before the PACT offensive starts."

Kayto and Ava's faces must have betrayed the lack of confidence in the revelation of the Solar Alliance's weak military stance, because Grey continued in a more defensive tone. "Have faith, Captain. The Solar Alliance boasts an economic base far larger than that of the PACT; we can outproduce the Compact worlds easily. Additionally, Alliance Ryder pilots are known throughout the galaxy for their skill; we're not out of the fight yet. If we can buy some time now, the Solar Alliance will meet the PACT threat head on and win."

"Your mission, therefore, is obvious," continued Grey. "I need your ship and crew to rendezvous with the Second Fleet at Far Port. You must hold out against the PACT offensive until the arrival of our other fleets. Intelligence indicates that five PACT fleets are poised to strike at Far Port; they are being commanded by Veniczar Cullen. I believe you are... acquainted. All together, we believe this force represents a substantial chunk of the PACT invasion effort in the Neutral Rim. You will be facing no fewer than three dozen battleships, fifteen carriers, two hundred cruisers, and roughly four hundred support craft. Additionally, we believe that Veniczar Arcadius will observe the battle personally from the _Legion_."

"And the Second Fleet?" asked Kayto, stunned by the enormity of the PACT's strength.

"The Second Fleet is primarily comprised of cruisers," said the Admiral with a soft sigh. "Eighty cruisers with two to four standard Alliance Ryders per ship."

"The enemy outnumbers us five-to-one," Kayto's head pounded as he absorbed the numbers. "Those aren't good odds, Admiral."

"Precisely why I am appointing you to the capacity as my Combat Advisor," Admiral Grey laced his fingers together. "I cannot think of anyone more suited to those odds; as I said before, you seem to make a career out of the impossible. Furthermore, you are the only one who has faced the PACT outside of simulators; few in our fleets have even seen a PACT vessel up close. You know how they operate, you know what it's like to face them. I have faith, Captain, that if anyone can hold out against the PACT outnumbered five-to-one, it is you. You will have tactical command of the Second Fleet. Rear Admiral Petrova will assist you in relay orders through her flagship, _Maiden's Grace_. I assure you that you will have no problems assuming command of the fleet and that you two will work well. She and the rest of the Second Fleet understand the situation well and are prepared to take whatever steps necessary to hold Far Port against the PACT until reinforcements arrive. I know I am asking too much, but there is no other choice."

"Understood, Admiral." Kayto straightened in his chair and saluted. The Admiral was right; the defense of Far Port would be one of the defining moments in the coming war. If the Alliance was to stand a chance at liberating worlds like Cera on the Neutral Rim, the PACT would need to be stopped at the gates of Alliance space.

"One last thing," Admiral Grey said before cutting the connection. "To assist _Sunrider_ in preparing for and fighting during the battle, I am assigning one of my personal advisors to your starship to serve as a liaison. I understand the _Sunrider's_ Ryder hanger still has open berths; as such, I am certain she will be a valuable asset to your crew."

" _Sunrider_ is a starship of the Cera Space Force, Admiral, not the Solar Alliance." Kayto's voice could have frozen helium. "As her commanding officer, I make all final decisions regarding crew, not your office."

Admiral Grey's mouth tightened to a razor thin line, but before he could retort, Kayto continued. "Having said that, Admiral, you are correct, I do find myself in need of skilled pilots and Ryders. I would be glad to have your advisor join my crew. Of course, that means she will be subject to Cera Space Force regulations and held to our chain of command. Do we have an understanding?"

"As you wish," the Admiral made an irritable hand gesture, but acquiesced all the same. "I will communicate this... development to her. She is a talented pilot and a loyal officer, Captain. I am certain she will fit in with your crew. She will rendezvous with _Sunrider_ tomorrow when the Second Fleet arrives; I expect due care to be given to her."

Without another word, the Admiral cut the connection, disappearing from Kayto's office.

* * *

Asaga sighed deeply, letting the hot water of the shower run over her tense body. As she watched the water trickle into the drain by her feet, she felt it carrying away the stress and emotional turmoil that she'd endured that day. The sorrow and resignation she had felt handing herself over to the PACT, the horror of watching her father murdered in cold blood, the unshakable feeling that she had failed her people, who now undoubtedly slaved away under the heel of PACT occupation while she fled their problems yet again; all of it swirled around her, making her head spin as she furiously scrubbed as if to strip her troubles away by force.

"Get a hold of yourself, Asaga," she muttered, plunging her head into the hot jet of water, running her hands through her red hair with the water.

Taking another deep breath, she let the hot steam sooth her frayed nerves. It was indescribably good to be back aboard the _Sunrider._ Even though she'd only been gone for a short while, _Sunrider_ never felt like home as it did now. Ever since coming back on board, she had been almost fearful to close her eyes, lest the entire rescue reveal itself as a dream. Except... it was real. The soaring feeling of hope and salvation she'd felt when _Sunrider's_ escape pod blasted loose from the Star Palace, returning her to the ship's familiar silhouette was real. Kayto's rescue... that was real too.

Asaga flashed back for a moment, reliving the moment Kayto swept her feet out from under her and carried her bodily back to the _Sunrider's_ pod. She could almost hear Cullen's blubbering and the whine of lasers and bullets, smell the rubble and dust, and feel the Captain's heart pounding through his chest as he pressed her close.

 _Thud, thud..._

The memory of Kayto's heartbeat melted into her own as Asaga felt her pulse quicken at the thought. Suddenly, the entire shower became far too warm for comfort; she felt almost suffocated by the steam and hot water around her as it traced its way down her bare skin unbearably. Gasping and clapping a hand to her mouth lest someone hear her outburst, Asaga braced herself against the ceramic tiles of the shower's wall with her other hand, pressing her legs together. It didn't help.

"Urk..." Asaga stifled herself again as a feeling she'd never associated with Kayto worked its way deeper into her flesh. "W-what am I thinking..."

Asaga felt a deep pang of shame and guilt. Her father laid slain, her people enslaved... yet, here she was, hiding in the shower and fantasizing about her commanding officer like some adolescent schoolgirl. It was small minded, base, humiliating... but impossible to ignore.

"You're queen now," admonished a sharp voice in the back of her head. "You've got to think about your people first."

"Maybe my people would like Kayto as Royal Consort. I think they would," another, altogether more cheerful and carefree voice said.

"This sucks..." Asaga groaned to herself, silencing both voices. But the feeling was undeniable.

Asaga closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of each drop of water that teasingly hung on the edge of her hardened nipples before dripping off with a delectable sensation. Hot water coursed between her legs as it traced its way down her belly, flushing her skin and melting right through her. "Just a little... can't hurt..." she whispered, spreading her thighs, almost trembling with anticipation.

BANG BANG

"HURK!" Asaga reeled back in surprise, slipping and slamming down painfully on the floor of the shower.

"Hurry up in there!" Icari's abrasive voice shouted through the locked door. "What's taking forever?!"

In an instant, the moment she'd cultivated shriveled in on itself and fell to pieces. Wet and in pain, Asaga hauled herself back to her feet with a wince. "H-hang on!" she said loudly, trying her best to sound normal. "I'm almost done!"

"Oh Icari..." a much more mellow and dreamy voice wafted through the door. "Why don't we just shower together if you're in such a hurry?"

"E-eh?!" Icari spluttered with indignation. "S-shut up! L-like I would ever want to s-see... see... your... EAGH!"

"Oh come on..." Claude purred seductively. "It's not like you have anything I don't. Don't pretend you've never thought of it, I can tell you're a bit That way..."

"S-SHUT UP!"

"I'm done, I'm done!" Asaga called out loudly, before Claude could proposition Icari any further.

Wrenching a towel off the rack and drying off as fast as she could, Asaga threw a bathrobe over herself and charged out of the bathroom, taking advantage of the billowing steam to duck past Icari and Claude without making eye contact and hurry back to her room.

Sighing in relief as her quarter's doors hissed shut behind her, she dropped her sundries in a wet, disorganized pile in the corner of the room before grudgingly getting dressed. Part of her wanted to crash into bed and let everything and everyone drift away in the peace of the night, but after her shower, she felt anything but relaxed. Keyed up in more ways than one, she knew sleep would be a hopeless endeavor at the moment.

"I guess I'd better get a hot glass of milk..." she muttered, buttoning her uniform and stepping out of her quarters.

* * *

 _Sunrider's_ corridors were quiet and dimmed for night hours, majority of the crew having retired to allow the night shift to take over their stations. As she walked towards the mess hall, the sounds of her footsteps rang out against the metal deck, echoing softly ahead of her. Passing into a completely darkened and deserted corridor, Asaga's walk slowed as she came across a series of activated holoscreens projecting the night sky, for all intents and purposes resembling a glass tunnel in space. The soft light from the stars was soft and soothing as reflected light from Far Port's vast, emerald ocean caressed her silkily. Completely drawn in by the view, Asaga forgot all about her milk, finding the peace and solace she'd been looking for in the first place. Staring out at the view, she lost all sense of time and place, drifting underneath a sea of stars and feeling her burdens floating off gently into the distance, carried by the receding tide of the universe.

A quiet shuffle, barely louder than fabric gliding over fabric, shocked her out of her reverie. "U-uck!" Asaga jumped in surprise as Sola's white hair and pale skin seemed to materialize from the shadows of the corridor. Her amber eyes betrayed nothing, save for mild curiosity, as she took a step closer before falling to one knee.

"You are... the Queen."

"EAH!" Asaga scrambled to haul Sola to her feet, her face blushing almost as red as her hair. "W-what was that for!?"

Sola did not fight her as she pulled her up by the arm, but looked at her with empty eyes. "You are the Queen," she repeated, voice equally devoid of emotion.

"How long have you been there?" demanded Asaga, still feeling off balance at Sola's sudden appearance. Intuition told her that the other woman had been there long before she'd even come, her stillness and preference for the dark allowing her to blend in, almost supernaturally, with the shadows.

"The stars give me peace, my Queen," answered Sola by way of reply.

"Ya know," Asaga wrinkled her nose in distaste, "I'd really rather you just call me Asaga."

Sola said nothing, merely staring at Asaga in silence. The seconds ticked past, each one slower than the last as Asaga felt mounting awkwardness and unease. Finally, just as Asaga was about to open her mouth to say something, anything to break the deafening silence, Sola spoke quietly. "I am Sola."

"Good, good," Asaga felt a rush of relief. "Let's keep things on a first name basis, OK? So what are you doing, Sola?"

"Reflecting." Sola turned to look out at Far Port once more, her face seeming microscopically more expressive than before. "Back in my time, Far Port was a mighty trade world and fortress of the Ryuvian Empire. Tens of thousands of ships passed through this space each year, bringing merchants from across the galaxy, from every corner of our Empire, to engage in commerce and the exchange of ideas. Truly, it was the gate at which the Empire's might and splendor met the exoticism and unknown of the galactic core and the Far Rim." Giving the smallest of sighs, Sola continued, almost as an afterthought. "It was also my birthworld."

"Yet now, Far Port lays fallow." Sola looked at the planet between them sadly. "It is merely an abandoned world, civilization overtaken by wilderness. The cities I once called home now crumble into the ocean; the habitats I used to dream of visiting in orbit are little more than depressurized husks..."

Asaga planted her hands on her hips, eyeing Far Port with bright eyes as she imagined the vibrant scene Sola must have remembered of the planet's past. "Don't worry about a thing," Asaga said confidently, touched by Sola's melancholy. "One day, this place will be a bustling port again, just like the one you remember. After we send the PACT scurrying back to New Eden, Ryuvia will grow again and we'll make Far Port the way it was."

"Our Empire has become weak," Sola's voice was quiet and flat. "Our armadas lay shattered and defeated. Barbarians and enemies have stolen our technology and secrets. The splendors of our culture have been forgotten and abandoned by those who once worshiped us-"

"And that's why we've got to change!" declared Asaga, interrupting Sola's unhappy assessment of Ryuvia's many failings. "No one was to blame for our downfall other than ourselves. In our own arrogance, we sealed the fate of our Empire. The Ryuvian Lords became corrupt and blinded by their own greed; son killed father and brothers slew each other, all for a piece of the Ryuvian dream."

Looking out at Far Port, ambition and vision bringing a spark to her eyes, Asaga said firmly, "We're going to make a new Ryuvia, where our people have a chance to work for themselves, to pick leaders who will fight to make their lives better and who embody the collective wisdom of Ryuvia."

Sola said nothing for a long time. "The Talbur was right to illuminate only for you," she said finally. "The throne of the Infinite Emperor was a seat of great potential. Those who sat in the throne wielded the power to bring great good to the galaxy or equally great suffering. I am... relieved that Ryuvia will pass into your hands in this time of need."

"Eh... thanks!" Asaga turned pink and shrugged sheepishly. "I think I'll need help though... I'm not that great of a leader, myself."

Sola nodded solemnly. "You wish a strong partner, no? The Captain would make a fine consort."

"G-guck!" Asaga looked as though struck by something heavy.

"The Captain is a strong man; principled and compassionate, firm and inspiring. He would have made quite the warlord in my time; surely he will give you many strong children, worthy of continuing the Ryuvian line," continued Sola blithely, her deadpan tone extolling Kayto's virtues with all the enthusiasm of someone describing a particularly fresh piece of fish.

"C-children!?" Asaga's jaw turned slack and her knees wobbled.

"It is your duty to produce heirs to the throne, is it not?" Sola looked momentarily confused. "Surely your father and mother taught you of-"

"UWAH-HAHAHAHA," Asaga cut Sola off with a loud, nervous, forced laugh before the conversation went somewhere completely out of control. "What gave you that idea anyways?" she blabbered, "The Capt'n's got his own mission; the liberation of his homeworld Cera and the surrender of the PACT."

"Your face." Sola cocked her head to the side, looking at Asaga with her large blank eyes.

"Eh?"

"It is red."

"Ehhhh... I gotta go calibrate the Black Jack!" Asaga gabbled rapidly. "Y-you'd better get the Seraphim ready too, Sola! I'll talk to you later!"

Heart pounding, Asaga tore out of the corridor, walking away as fast as she could without breaking into an outright run, face glowing even in the darkness of the corridor.

Giving the merest of shrugs, Sola turned back to her lonely vigil. ... _She's no queen... yet._


	17. Kryska

Thanks for the new review. Certain discrepancies were necessary in terms of plot cohesion, etc. Some were taken as artistic license. If you have issue with any, feel free to point them out for consideration.

* * *

Kayto stood with Ava on the catwalk above _Sunrider's_ hanger deck as a lone Ryder drifted into the hanger, retrothrusters glowing as it hovered above the deck surrounded by invisible magnetic tethers that guided it to a waiting cradle. The Ryder was painted with the Alliance's colors; green and white, and its base model appeared to be a standard Alliance Ryder frame, bulky and square like the rest of their navy. What set the current Ryder apart from any other Alliance Ryder he had ever seen, however, were the thick, articulated plates of armor that encased the Ryder's frame; it almost looked as though the Ryder itself wore a secondary armored suit over itself, never mind the full body shield mounted on one of its armatures. Along the juggernaut's back, similar to the Black Jack's laser armaments, four double barreled Gauss cannons pointed proudly above the Ryder's head at a forty-five degree angle, fed by a large reserve pack of ammunition on the Ryder's back. Combined with the missile pods that bulged slightly from under the heavy plating, nothing about the Ryder was subtle, although Kayto had to admit he was glad the beast of a Ryder was on their side.

"Are you sure this is wise, Captain?" asked Ava, standing stiffly at his side and watching the Ryder dock with narrowed eyes. "I'm not entirely certain the crew will be comfortable with foreign military officers serving aboard _Sunrider._ "

"We need all the help we can get," said Kayto, although truth be told he also harbored some apprehensions about his decision to allow Alliance personnel aboard. "Given that we'll be working closely with the Alliance, maybe she'll be an asset. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Hmph," Ava made an unhappy sound, but saw no reason to disagree further.

"Let's not let our guard all the way down though. I want a full background check on her and keep an eye on her for now. Nothing overt; just a precaution. Consider it probation until we're sure she'll fit in with the crew," ordered Kayto.

"Aye, Captain, gladly," agreed Ava, the relief in her voice obvious.

It didn't take long for the Ryder's pilot to dock and disembark, emerging from bay 06's lift. Clad in jade Ryder armor, the pilot was as tall as Kayto, her dark blue hair cut in a short, boyish bob cut. "Lieutenant Kryska Stares, reporting for duty, Sir!" Crisply saluting both Ava and Kayto, Kryska's honey eyes stared straight ahead, her back straight as a slide rule.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Kayto said after returning the salute. "I'm Captain Kayto Shields, this is my First Officer, Ava Crescentia. Welcome aboard the _Sunrider_."

"My pleasure, Sir!" Kryska put her hand down, but otherwise did not relax her stance a single millimeter. "I have orders directly from the Admiral, himself, to serve with your crew and function as an Alliance Liaison Officer aboard this ship. I look forward to working with you, Sirs!"

Although Kayto frowned slightly at the woman's rigid adherence to military propriety, Ava looked at the Alliance officer with obvious approval, her professionalism endearing her somewhat despite Ava's previous reservations. "Tell me about yourself, Lieutenant," asked Kayto as he gestured for the three of them to walk, hoping to cut some of the ice.

"Rank: Lieutenant, First Class. Twenty two standard years of age. Previous service: Commander of Air Group aboard Alliance carrier _Montesquieu_. Hometown: New Seattle, Luna." Kryska rattled off her personal resume with robotic precision and practice.

"An Alliance CAG?" Ava's eyebrows arched. "An unusual choice for a Liaison Officer, particularly aboard a neutral warship."

"I go wherever my duties require me to, Ma'am," answered Kryska politely. "I am not in the habit of questioning my deployment orders."

"You've got one hell of a Ryder," observed Kayto. "I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it."

"Thank you, Sir!" Kryska's eyes shone with pride. "Paladin's a modified Alliance GFR- Heavy. I've reviewed your current Ryder complement's dossiers and believe you will find the Paladin's addition to be of benefit."

"Paladin, huh?" Kayto offered a small smile. "That would explain the armor."

"Yes, Sir!" Kryska nodded. "Paladin uses Grade S starship armor reinforced with hyperdiamond tri-weave. It's virtually immune to all Ryder small arms fire and even capital ship flak; even lasers will barely do more than a scratch. I've never had the pleasure, but our engineers assure me that Paladin could go toe-to-toe against a cruiser class ship on its own and win."

"Impressive," remarked Kayto. "I'm guessing not all Alliance Ryders are that tough though."

"No, Sir," Kryska sounded slightly sheepish. "Paladin's an experimental model; extremely limited and custom production runs. It's simply not economically viable to produce models like this en masse, even for the Alliance. I am privileged to have been given the opportunity to serve as its pilot."

"Tell me about those guns; they look like custom jobs too."

"Yes, Sir," Kryska sounded slightly more hesitant. "I'm afraid I can't go into detail for security reasons, but what I can say is that Paladin's eight Gauss cannons can accelerate kinetic slugs to approximately two point five percent the speed of light."

Kayto whistled; the Paladin's slugs flew even faster than the Saviors'. "Probably to make up for the reduced mass of your projectiles right?"

"Correct," Kryska nodded again. "But you'd be surprised. Paladin's slugs have a black ore core; they're about five times heavier than any conventional slug of the same caliber. Put together, Paladin's cannons can dish out about the same damage as any capital ship's deck guns."

"Limited production as well, I take it." Kayto was impressed; black ore was hugely expensive to mine and work with, never mind to use as disposable projectiles.

"Yes, Sir," answered Kryska. "But do not worry; I have the Admiral's assurances that the Alliance will be able to keep Paladin's ammunition stocked aboard the _Sunrider_ whenever you make port."

"All right," Kayto said as the three of them entered the lift at the end of the catwalk, rising up to _Sunrider's_ main deck. "Welcome aboard again, Kryska. Ava will get you uniforms and the standard crew kit and help you to settle into your new pilot quarters. You're crew now, so make yourself at home," he said as he stepped off on deck 1, leaving Ava and Kryska to go continue to deck 0.

"Thank you, Sir!" Kryska saluted again as the doors closed.

* * *

"Captain, a word please," Ava interrupted Kayto as he studied a holographic projection of Far Port and the Alliance Second Fleet holding orbit above the world.

"Ava," Kayto gratefully seized on the distraction; thus far, every combat projection and simulation he ran through the system had yielded disastrous results.

"I think you should take a look at this," Ava passed him her holo which displayed Kryska's picture along with her service record. Kayto scrutinized the record, which seemed to corroborate everything Kryska had told them thus far.

"I don't-"

"Look at the dates she served aboard the _Montesquieu_ ," Ava walked to Kayto's side and tapped the relevant line on the service record. "I double checked the dates and there appears to be a discrepancy: her service record shows that she started her service two days before the ship was officially commissioned. After what happened with Claude, I decided to have Chigara give the service record a look; according to her, the file's code shows traces of a digital wipe. What we're reading now is all new data, written over what her service record previously said. More than that, Chigara did some data mining; there are a number of similar discrepancies with any Alliance reports referencing the _Montesquieu_ ; as far as Chigara can tell, we can't even be sure the ship exists."

"That's... interesting," muttered Kayto, eyeing Kryska's digital portrait critically.

"More than interesting," Ava frowned. "An ace pilot with fake credentials and a service record referencing a ship that doesn't even exist? Captain, someone went through a lot of trouble to alter the lieutenant's service record, someone like Alliance Spec Ops."

"So she's a spy..." Kayto mused on the thought for a moment before shrugging and passing the holo back to Ava. "Well I can't say I'm entirely surprised. It looks like the Admiral and the Alliance trust us about as much as we trust them."

"Would you like us to keep a closer eye on her?" asked Ava. "I could assign some of the marines to tail her, at a distance, of course."

Kayto thought for a minute. "No," he finally said. "We've got nothing to hide; chances are she's just here to keep an eye on us anyways. Give her normal security privileges; we're going to have to learn to trust each other sooner or later. It's up to us to make the first move."

"Hmph," Ava looked dissatisfied. "Very well, Captain, if you say so. I'll refrain from any other precautions than bugging her room."

"What part of normal security privileges is a bugged room?" demanded Kayto. "Do you have bugs in my room or anyone else's?"

Ava merely crossed her arms, unimpressed.

"You know what, forget I asked," Kayto sighed deeply. "I'd rather not know." Turning away from the hologram of Far Port, he suddenly realized his head was pounding; after several hours of banging his head against the insurmountable problem of defending Far Port, it wasn't surprising. Leaving the CIC, he made for _Sunrider's_ mess hall, intent on getting a cup of coffee.

* * *

"Oh, it's the Capt'n!" Asaga said cheerily to Chigara, waving Kayto over. "Capt'n, we're over here!"

Kayto walked over to the table where Chigara and Asaga were having dinner, collapsing into the seat next to Chigara heavily.

"Good evening, Captain," Chigara said warmly, giving him a glowing smile.

Kayto sighed deeply, doing his best to look confident. "We've got a big fight coming up; how are you two holding up?"

"Don't worry 'bout a thing!" Asaga said loudly, slamming the table with an open palm. "Chigara and I got this; we'll do our best!"

Kayto nodded encouragingly. He had little doubt that Asaga would handle her nerves with her usual bravado, but Chigara had him worried. The petite woman poked listlessly at her dinner, a light salad and piece of bread next to Asaga's mountain of food. "Chigara?" Kayto asked gently. "Are you doing alright?"

"Oh, uhh..." Chigara smiled nervously, dropping her utensils and wringing her hands. "Well... it's a little hard digesting because I'm so nervous... but I think I'll be alright."

"C'mon Chigara!" Asaga brandished a pair of chopsticks at her demure partner. "Y'gotta eat lots before battle or you'll run out of energy! We're not leaving until you get seconds!"

As Chigara turned pale at the very thought, Kayto threw a protective arm around Chigara's shoulders, causing her to jump and blush. "Hey, let her breathe. Not everyone's as macho as you, Asaga."

"Hwaah! Nom nom nom," Asaga dived headfirst into a bowl of udon, slurping her noodles loudly and splashing the other two with flecks of soup. Dropping his hand from Chigara's shoulders, he accepted the napkin she offered him.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Chigara looked down at her food unhappily, barely audible over the loud sounds of Asaga's chomping. "Truth be told... I haven't slept well either since we left Ryuvia. I... It was really frightening seeing the Veniczar in person... I... sometimes I still hear his voice, ringing in my dreams."

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it!" Asaga said before Kayto could think of anything comforting to offer Chigara, swallowing an impressive mouthful of noodles without chewing. "He's nothin' to be scared of, we'll take him down together, Chigara!"

"Who do you think he is behind the mask?" asked Chigara nervously, clearly not comforted by Asaga's bravado.

"An ugly, shrimpy toad?" Asaga poked through her soup, hoping to find more noodles but coming up with nothing. Sighing, she turned a shade more serious. "He's the leader of the PACT revolution, right? The man without an identity. The People's savior against the decadence and corruption of the New Empire. Everyone and no one at the same time. But..." Asaga leaned in, her face taking on a conspiratorial grin as though she were telling a ghost story. "Some of my father's advisors were saying that he might not even be the same man who led the Revolution. Who can tell under that mask?"

"W-why do you suppose he wears that mask, Captain?" asked Chigara plaintively, shuddering at Asaga's conspiracy.

"It's intimidating, isn't it?" said Kayto with a shrug, sipping his coffee. More than anything, he wanted to assuage Chigara's concerns. Rationalizing and normalizing the mystique behind the Veniczar was something she might appreciate and draw comfort from. "People fear the unknown. By wearing that mask, Arcadius can pretend to be something bigger than a mere man."

"I suppose you're right, Captain," said Chigara with some relief.

"More than that, it's practical," Kayto continued. "By hiding his identity, Arcadius can achieve a form of immortality; even if the man dies, the symbol Arcadius became lives on and carries on the PACT's leadership."

"It's a lot better than what the Ryuvians tried," Asaga butted in with a big smile. "My ancestors probably squandered enough treasure to buy half the galaxy looking for immortality. I don't think their research ever turned up anything, but they came up with some pretty amazing anti-aging skin lotions. Say..." Asaga's eyes twinkled nastily. "You don't suppose the Commander would be interested in some? Smooth out those frown lines of hers..."

"SHHH!" Kayto snapped, looking wildly over his shoulders as Chigara and Asaga giggled. "Do you want to get us all killed before the PACT even shows up?" he hissed.

"Relax, Capt'n!" Asaga cackled wickedly. "The last of the cream was used up ages ago; Sola might have a bottle packed away somewhere in the Seraphim though..."

Kayto's bracelet beeped, signaling an incoming call from Ava. Face paling, he looked up as Chigara and Asaga both squealed, bolting from the table with their trays like schoolgirls. "Hey, come back! Don't-" Kayto sighed in defeat as he answered the page. "Ava?"

"Captain," Ava's tone was humorless, but, thankfully, not angry. "Situation in the hanger bay, Sir. Sensors are detecting increased auditory stress levels; there's some kind of argument going on."

" _Shit,"_ thought Kayto. The woman really did have bugs all over the ship.

"Copy that, I'm on my way," he answered, giving the underside of the mess hall table a quick sweep. Avoiding the odd looks some of the other crew members were giving him, Kayto hopped up and left for the Ryder hanger, not feeling entirely reassured.

* * *

 _Sunrider's_ hanger looked busier than ever with half of its Ryder berths now occupied. As Kayto strode underneath the bright lights of the hanger, looking at each Ryder hanging in its individual cradle, overshadowing him like solemn guardians, he couldn't help but feel a little more confident. Unfortunately, the Ryders' pilots were a little less awe-inspiring; now that there were six of them, friction would undoubtedly erupt with increasing frequency.

"Keep your paws off my Phoenix!" Icari growled, pointing a threatening finger at Kryska, standing between her and the yellow Ryder. Judging from her posture and facial expression, Kayto would have guessed the Alliance Liaison Officer had asked to eat her first born child.

For her part, Kryska's features were composed, without a hint of the rising ire her opponent showed her. Standing stiffly, she gestured at the Phoenix's schematics on her holo. "Ms. Isidolde," Kryska said in a members-of-the-jury voice. "Your Ryder is in violation of at least fourteen different Alliance class five safety regulations. The Phoenix is a danger to you and the rest of the crew; I simply cannot allow you to fly with the rest of the squad."

As Kayto approached, Kryska saluted. "Captain!" Icari merely scowled, crossing her arms.

"At ease. What's going on here?" asked Kayto, suddenly feeling sympathy for Ava's day-to-day sufferings caused by other such crew conflicts.

"I was simply explaining to Ms. Isidolde that her Ryder is a potential safety hazard to herself and the crew. The Phoenix's continued operation puts the rest of the Ryder wing in significant jeopardy. I was hoping to take the steps necessary to correcting this problem," said Kryska as Icari steamed.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Kayto with a frown; if there was some issue with the Phoenix, this was the first time he was hearing about it.

"Nothing's wrong with the Phoenix!" snapped Icari, flaring up and glaring at Kryska. "Soldier boy here's just feeling snubbed because I cut through all the damned red tape her precious Alliance puts around everything."

Kryska's lips tightened and the woman somehow managed to straighten her back even more rigidly.

"Let's keep the personal insults at a minimum, Icari," warned Kayto.

Icari rolled her eyes, continuing her side of the story. "Everyone knows the Solar Congress is in the Karium lobby's pockets. No surprise then that all Alliance Ryders and starships have Karium exhaust vents, even when the rest of the galaxy knows Heratium works just as well, is twice as light, and is cheaper!"

"I take it the Phoenix has Heratium exhaust vents," said Kayto, eyeing the yellow Ryder in its cradle.

"What Ms. Isidolde fails to mention," said Kryska triumphantly, "Is that Heratium shatters into a thousand razor sharp fragments when subject to explosive force while Karium is rendered into inert filamentous tangles. Captain; a single hit on the Phoenix could not only take one Ryder out, but any other Ryders flying next to it. The safety of the rest of the crew is at stake; all for the ego of a single pilot! If Ms. Isidolde was capable of thinking of anyone but herself, she'd know that accepting a Karium retrofit is the only responsible thing to do."

"Everyone in the Neutral Rim uses it, you don't hear any complaints," Icari said with a dismissive hand gesture. "I've used Heratium all my life and it's never been a problem. If it weren't for the Karium lobby funding all those senator's re-election campaigns, they'd have never forced through that legislation and gotten away with propaganda to force the galaxy to buy an obsolete and inferior good that should have been kicked off the market decades ago. If the Solar Alliance actually gave people the freedom to buy what they wanted instead of caving to bullying from special interest groups and cartels, this wouldn't even be an issue. Everyone knows Heratium's lighter, stronger, and more efficient; Phoenix wouldn't fly the same without it."

Both pilots turned expectantly to Kayto to arbitrate the argument now that their positions had been stated. "Lieutenant," Kayto turned to Kryska. "I appreciate your concern for the rest of the crew, which are duly noted, but I must remind you that despite your previous service record with the Alliance, on this ship, you are not the CAG; if you have additional concerns, I would advise you to report them to Asaga Oakrun, CAG on the _Sunrider_ rather than confronting your colleagues and insisting on enforcing Alliance policy on a neutral vessel."

Kryska stared straight ahead, jaw clenched with dissatisfaction as she saluted. "Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir! But you will excuse me if I steer clear of the Phoenix while it is doing its burn tests on the hanger floor."

"What you do on your own time is your decision, Lieutenant," Kayto frowned at the attitude. "But I expect my Ryder pilots to comply with formation orders when they're on my clock. Dismissed."

With all the precision of a robot, Kryska snapped her hand back to her side mechanically and stalked off to return to her other duties.

"Thanks Captain," Icari said grudgingly, "I can't believe that Alliance poster boy's already trying to bring Alliance rules to a boat she just stepped foot on; that's some nerve she's got. Nice to see her put in her place."

Kayto sighed, "Play nice, Icari. We're all supposed to be on the same team now."

Icari stuck her tongue out at Kryska's back. "She'll be begging for some Heratium as soon as she sees the Phoenix leaving her Paladin in the dust."

* * *

The issue of Phoenix's use of Heratium continued to weigh unpleasantly on Kayto's mind through the remainder of the evening, interrupting his already tenuous sleep schedule and rousing him unpleasantly at 0400 the next morning. After tossing and turning hopelessly for ten minutes, he resigned the struggle and staggered into the shower. A short while later, Kayto found his feet carrying him to the Ryder hanger with a steaming mug of coffee in hand.

Sipping his beverage and scrutinizing the heat manifolds on the Phoenix's back from the upper catwalk, a sound from behind him told him he was not alone.

"Oh! Captain!"

Turning around, Kayto saw Chigara exiting Liberty's lift. The woman looked even more tired than before, clearly having stayed up the entire night with Liberty. Dark bags hung under her eyes and her usually bright affect had given way to a tired, stressed look; even her light lavender hair seemed less well kempt than usual.

"Chigara?" Kayto asked with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine, fine," Chigara said vaguely. "I... couldn't sleep, so I was doing some fine tuning of Liberty's systems."

"Mhm..." Kayto wanted to say something about the importance of rest, but it seemed fairly hypocritical for him to comment on the matter. "Was there something keeping you up?"

"It's... the Veniczar's voice. I still hear it ringing in my head," Chigara confided unhappily, coming to his side and looking down at her feet, shuffling uneasily. "His voice calls out to me, like a siren's song..."

"Hey, relax," Kayto patted her arm awkwardly. "You've been under a lot of stress; you've got to give yourself a break or we'll all be in trouble."

"Oh, Chigara must sound so crazy..." Chigara sighed, stroking the spot on her arm where he had patted her absentmindedly. "Please forget I said anything. I've actually been thinking a lot about the Diode Catastrophe lately..."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Kayto.

Chigara nodded once, looking sheepish.

"Come to my office; we'll do this properly, sitting, with tea and breakfast," offered Kayto on a whim.

Chigara broke out with a weak smile, looking a shade more like the Chigara he was accustomed to.

* * *

"Take your pick," said Kayto, offering Chigara a wooden box divided into a number of compartments of tea leaves. "They're all brews from Cera, some are pretty distinctive."

Chigara accepted the box, sniffing each brew gingerly before picking one. "I-I'll have this one," she said, pointing at a collection of dark, circular tea leaves.

"Ryuvian Mountain," said Kayto, smiling. "I'm told they pick and dry this tea by a shrine in the mountains; you're almost supposed to be able to taste the fog and dew."

Chigara turned a little pink as she accepted the cup of tea, sipping gingerly. As the tea's warmth trickled into her and warmed the tips of her cold fingers, she felt more at ease than she had in days, settling back on the squishy couch with a small sigh.

"So..." Kayto cast around for a way to start the conversation. "Tell me about Diode; Galactic History was never one of my strong subjects."

"Diode was a strange world, even for those of us living on it," said Chigara, thinking back to her past. "It orbited a binary system where one of the stars had collapsed into a black hole. There was nothing remarkable about the planet itself, but the black hole was a point of interest for our research. Unlike most black holes, Diode's black hole had practically exhausted its spin; you could almost, just barely, glimpse the singularity. My father was the head of the Paradox Project; the result of Diode's research into the black hole. I was actually born aboard the space station where the Paradox Project was based on."

"The Paradox Project?" Kayto asked with curiosity

"Diode's most ambitious scientific project," said Chigara with a hint of pride. "It would have been our crowning achievement: the power to control time itself. Imagine a device that would let you go back in time and redo your life, or bring yourself back after you'd been killed, or edit your enemies out of existence before they were even born. The possibilities were endless."

"That sounds like really dangerous technology," observed Kayto, his head spinning with the implications. "Something humans probably shouldn't have."

"Technology itself is neither good nor bad, dangerous nor benign. It's inimical to humanity in of itself. The greatest good or evil comes from the hands wielding it. In the right hands, technology to control time could save billions of lives. More than that, it might have marked the next step in human evolution where we'd be able to exist in and manipulate four dimensions instead of three; war, famine, disease, even conflict as we know it would be mooted by the technology."

"What happened then?"

"Something went wrong," Chigara sighed heavily and set her cup down on its saucer with a soft clink, looking miserable. "We ended up creating a black hole in orbit over Diode that destroyed the research station and most of the planet. I managed to get to an escape pod in time, but the rest of the team... they were not so lucky. Both of my parents died that day; as far as I know... I'm the only survivor."

"I'm sorry," Kayto patted her knee gently, offering her a box of tissues. "That must have been terrible for you..."

"It's OK..." Chigara dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose wetly. "I made my peace a long time ago. If it weren't for the fact that I was right next to the escape pods at the time... But it was terrifying to watch the entire planet crumble behind me as my escape pod struggled to race away from the event horizon... seeing something like that changed my life forever..."

"It's hard to imagine how something like that could have happened..." Kayto said, a tone of awe entering his voice. Truly, the level of technological sophistication that Diode had preserved and achieved since the fall of the Holy Ryuvian Empire was almost beyond comprehension.

"We created micro-blackholes all the time with our particle collision experiments, but they evaporate almost as soon as they're formed. With all our safeguards, it should have been technically impossible to create a sustaining black hole, much less one of that size and magnitude. More than that, I've run thousands of computer simulations of that experiment. Every time, things go according to plan and nothing strange happens. I don't have any scientific explanation for what happened that day. But..." Chigara's voice trailed off.

"But?" prompted Kayto, suspicious that he already knew where her thoughts were headed.

"Well... there's only one other explanation I can come to. What happened at Diode that day was an act of sabotage. Someone on the Paradox Project must have betrayed us, although I can't imagine why..." Chigara looked glum at the very thought. "I've thought about the experiment for years now; everything was perfect, our calculations and set up were flawless. This should have never happened..." Chigara sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Captain. I'm just rambling now... I bet you think I'm crazy."

"I don't think you're crazy," Kayto said firmly, doing his best to sound reassuring. "Keep on looking, Chigara; things like that don't happen without a reason. Whether it was a mistake or an act of sabotage, you'll find evidence one day if you keep digging."

"Thanks Captain," Chigara cheered up minutely. Setting her tea down, Chigara balled her fists in her lap, scrunching her face up in an expression of resolve. "I... I never want to see the people I care about die around me again! I'll do anything I have to do to protect the _Sunrider_!"

"Of course," Kayto agreed. "We'll do everything in our power to make sure no one around us has to die. That's a promise."

"I'm counting on you, then, Captain," said Chigara seriously. Standing, she brushed off the edge of her skirt. "The tea was wonderful. I feel better now... I'm... glad you're my Captain..."

Kayto smiled as Chigara flushed red. "I'll try not to let you down then."

"You must have so many other matters to attend to," Chigara looked embarrassed. "Thank you for taking the time to have me over for tea."

"Don't give it another thought," said Kayto, waving her embarrassment away. "Use my door anytime you need it, Chigara."

Chigara beamed and made for the stairway. "Maybe I will, Captain."

* * *

The Alliance worked fast, Kayto had to give them that. Less than two days after making port at Far Port, _Sunrider_ had been fully repaired by an Alliance dry dock. On the Admiral's orders, no expense in terms of credits or manpower had been spared to bring _Sunrider_ back to one hundred percent operational effectiveness. The Second Fleet, meanwhile, had taken defensive positions in high orbit, carrying out standard patrol and reconnaissance missions while awaiting further orders from the _Sunrider_. So far, no sign of the PACT had been received, although Kayto anticipated their attack would come at any time now.

In light of the situation and their dangerously underdeveloped strategy for dealing with a PACT fleet outnumbering them five to one, Kayto had called a meeting with Ava and Kryska to discuss their options for the coming battle. As he stepped into the CIC, however, Kayto was distracted by a mop of red hair and a distinctive hairband poking out from behind one of unmanned consoles near the main tactical projectors.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" Chigara's nervous whisper filtered around the console.

"Shhh!" Asaga said loudly, completely rendering their hiding spot a moot point. "This is for the sake of ship security, Chigara! I know what I'm doing!"

"What are you doing?" asked Kayto, sneaking up on them and arching a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yikes!" Asaga grabbed him by the lapels and hauled him behind the console too. "Capt'n! You'll blow our cover! We're keepin' an eye on the spy."

"You mean the Lieutenant?" asked Kayto, rolling his eyes, but half-amused all the same.

"Who else?" Asaga shot back.

"You haven't been spreading rumors about her behind her back have you, Asaga?" asked Kayto in an admonishing tone.

"No way!" Asaga crossed her arms, unrepentant. "I would never spread salacious rumors and slander like that! All's I did was tell some of the crew I was eating with about the Alliance mole, nothing untrue or sinister at all!"

Kayto covered his face in exasperation. "I don't see how that's any different than spreading unfounded rumors... How'd you find out about any of that anyways?"

"Uhh..." Chigara fidgeted nervously, looking guilty enough for the two of them. "I-I'm sorry, Captain... I let it slip to Asaga about her fabricated service record."

"You know that everyone can hear and see you right?" Kayto stood up and smoothed the wrinkles in his uniform. "Look, Ava's over there scowling at you right now."

True enough, Ava shot the two Ryder pilots a glowering glare as she analyzed the tactical hologram with Kryska.

"Uck..." Asaga gulped as she took a quick glance over the console. "We've been busted, Chigara! Scrub the mission! Abort, abort!"

With that, Asaga did a commando roll from behind the console and dove out of the CIC, startling several crew members as they entered. From behind, Ava frowned menacingly.

Kayto patted Chigara on the head, who turned crimson and ran out of the CIC after Asaga. Giving a long suffering sigh, Kayto walked over to join his two officers. "Sorry about the delay. Please brief us on the latest situation, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir!" Kryska saluted and called up a series of projections on the tactical hologram. Far Port zoomed out, the second fleet reduced to a series of green triangles in orbit. A large red triangle appeared further away. "As you know, five PACT assault fleets are approaching Far Port. Based on their origin systems, we believe they will exit warp space somewhere within this region of space between five to twenty thousand kilometers from our current fleet coordinates. Our mission is to defend against the PACT offensive; we must hold Far Port until Alliance reinforcements arrive."

Kayto nodded grimly. "What's our ETA on the Alliance fleets?"

"It's hard to predict, Sir; our fleets are pushing their warp engines as hard as they can. The First Fleet was the closest to us; they're roughly one to two days out. The Third, Fourth, and Sixth fleets won't arrive for at least another three days," Kryska said uncertainly.

"Hmm... There's no way the PACT will wait for that long; their intelligence is probably as good as the Alliance's; they know we're vulnerable now. We won't be able to count on those reinforcements; this is going to be one lopsided battle..." muttered Kayto, rubbing his chin with frustration. "I've run probably over a hundred simulations already; we're not going to be able to win against the PACT fleets head on. We need to start thinking about some other options."

"Captain," Ava tapped at the controls, causing the holographic layout to change. The Alliance Second Fleet scattered across the planet, dividing up into twenty smaller wolf packs of cruisers. "Far Port is a tactically pivotal, but largely uninhabited world. Our fleet could use the planet for cover and scatter to balance the terms of engagement with hit-and-run tactics. Without civilian centers to worry about, we can afford to draw out the battle until reinforcements arrive."

"With respect, Ma'am, such a plan runs a significant risk that the PACT fleet will simply bypass Far Port," objected Kryska, shaking her head. "Five major Alliance worlds lay beyond Far Port; Alliance Command has insisted the PACT be contained at Far Port no matter the cost."

"A fleet that large won't be able to warp so easily," insisted Ava. "We're talking logistics, warp calculations, and forming up more than five hundred ships. The coordination involved would be unprecedented. Either way, we have no choice; putting all our ships together leaves us too vulnerable to a single, overwhelming attack by the PACT; we don't stand a chance against their fleet under those circumstances."

Sighing explosively, Kayto chewed his lip. Neither plan would help them fulfill their mission parameters, there had to be another way... "Alright, looks like we've got our homework cut out for us," said Kayto to the two women. "Keep turning those simulations upside down; I'll do the same. We'll figure something out."

Kryska nodded, saluting again before leaving the CIC to communicate with the rest of the Second Fleet.

"Ava," Kayto motioned for his First Officer before she could excuse herself.

"Sir?"

"Come up to my quarters for dinner tonight," offered Kayto.

Ava's eyes widened. Crossing her arms, Ava gave him an annoyed look. "Captain, I hardly think now is an appropriate-"

"Section eleven, article seventeen," said Kayto, popping a pocket protocol out of his uniform and tossing it to Ava.

Ava snatched the book out of the air, flipping through its pages rapidly. "The Captain may host senior officers or crew in less formal settings to facilitate crew cohesion or as an informal staff meeting at his/her discretion," Ava read out loud before frowning at Kayto and handing the book back out to him. "That seems a little self-serving, doesn't it, Captain?"

"Not at all!" Kayto held his hands up in defense. "We've got to come up with a plan against the PACT or we'll all be done for."

"I suppose..." Ava gave a strange twitch, half-irritated and half-amused. Brushing a lock of her hair behind one ear, she looked at Kayto sideways with one eye. "My shift ends at 1900."

"I'll see you then," winked Kayto.

* * *

Ava dabbed at her lips with her napkin before neatly folding the corner of the white cloth and returning it to her lap. She had initially been hesitant to accept Kayto's offer, but now, after dinner, she had to admit, the experience had been good. Quiet music filtered through hidden speakers in his quarters, just barely loud enough to cover any awkward silences, but fading helpfully into her subconscious whenever the two were talking. Beside them, a stunning view of sunset over Far Port's distant, gently curving horizon slowly gave way to the twinkling night sky. Although neither of them had figured out a solution to the PACT onslaught, somehow, Ava could not quite bring herself to concluding that the entire evening had been a waste of time.

Quietly, Ava contemplated the view on the holoscreen; as peaceful and serene as Far Port was beneath them, the entire illusion would shatter the minute PACT forces dropped out of warp.

Across from her, Kayto sighed loudly, lacing his fingers behind his head and leaning back in his chair. "The opening battle of the Alliance-PACT war... I never thought it would be us at the front of the entire war. How did it turn out this way?" wondered Kayto out loud.

"You mean hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned? Facing a superior force with no reinforcements with orders to hold the line no matter the cost, all for a naive schoolboy cause?" Ava half-scowled, half-smiled. "Feels like one of the stories we cooked up during summer vacation."

"I'd thought you'd forgotten about those days," said Kayto nostalgically, his gaze drifting as he disappeared into their shared childhood memories.

"Not everything," Ava said quietly, unsure if Kayto heard her. Feeling a warm prickling sensation on her cheeks, she looked down at her lap, playing with her napkin.

"Ava," Kayto sounded hesitant. "Why didn't you ever return my messages? You know... after... you left."

Ava started, looking up into Kayto's eyes. Beneath the table, her hands balled into fists around her napkin. Whenever he looked at her like that; with wide, innocent eyes, she couldn't help but to feel an uncomfortable, choking sensation rise in her chest. Damn it; he hadn't changed a bit since their schooldays. "I-I was busy..." Ava shifted uneasily and looked away.

"Heh," Kayto chuckled, more to himself than Ava. "I figured as much." Closing his eyes, he let silence stretch unbearably.

"I moved on," Ava said finally, her voice taking on a ruthlessness that surprised even her. "I went to space, you stayed home. It's not like it could have lasted forever."

Kayto tapped the table with his fingers, clearly divided on whether or not to push the subject. "Nothing's set in stone unless you let it stay that way."

Abruptly, Ava stood from the table, pushing her chair out from behind her and setting her napkin down with more force than she meant, rattling the silverware. "Thank you for the meal, Captain." Without looking at him, she turned around, hiding her face. "I'd better get back to work; and I'm still waiting on the paperwork that I sent to your holo last night."

Sweeping from Kayto's cabin, Ava marched back to her own, her brown hair flaring out behind her in her wake, refusing to look backwards.

 _Nothing's set in stone unless you let it stay that way..._

Ava gritted her teeth. It had been almost eleven years, yet here he was, looking at her with the same bright, innocent eyes he'd worn in high school. Even with five PACT fleets breathing down his neck, he still found the time to waste his energy on… her. That fact alone that filled Ava with frustration like nothing else. Some things about that man hadn't changed a bit since they were in school together.

Back in her quarters, Ava flipped on her holo, accessing a folder for the first time in over a year. Scrolling down, she looked at dozens of saved messages, some text only, some video, all meticulously dated. Year after year, Kayto had sent her these one sided communiques; half of them she'd never even gotten around to viewing. But she'd saved them nevertheless...

For a moment her finger hovered over the most recent one, dated only seven months ago, trembling in indecision. Why had she saved them if she'd never bothered to view them?

"Ugh..." Ava groaned explosively, flopping into her office chair. Thoughts like that made her head spin. Closing the folder in a fit of frustration, she brought up her agenda, losing herself to the buzz of reports and requisitions that needed to be recorded, collated, and filed.

* * *

Chigara sat alone in her half darkened office, the last one to leave the research and development department of Engineering, as usual. Not that she minded; being last to leave did afford her a degree of privacy for some more... personal interests.

Chigara spooled through the day's security camera footage, scanning for one person in particular. It had started innocently enough; looking for the Captain as a way to familiarize herself with _Sunrider's_ security systems, but lately, Chigara found herself looking over security footage for no reason other than for the smile it brought to her lips. Of course, if anyone else were to find out... Chigara's insides twisted in shame at the very thought of being caught drooling over the Captain like a stalker.

"Oooohhhhh..."

"EAH!" Chigara slammed the pause key on the camera roll and spun around in terror, white as a sheet. "C-Claude?!"

"Reviewing the security camera footage again?" Claude gave a tinkling giggle as she leaned in with interest. "My, my, always so hard at work..."

"Uhh..." Chigara mumbled, flustered beyond words by Claude's surprise attack.

"He comes up right here, at the sixty minute mark!" Claude gushed, reaching over Chigara and spooling the footage to show a view of Kayto walking down the hall, his face serious and focused as he read a report on his holo. "There we are!" she cried in a sing-song voice.

As Claude drooled a little, Chigara giggled quietly into her hand. The unabashed way Claude wore her affections and interests on her sleeve made her a bit jealous, but Chigara admired her for it just as much. As the two of them stared at Kayto's face, now magnified on the screen, Chigara wondered if she'd ever have the courage to express herself like Claude.

"Seriously... what are you two doing over there?" asked Icari, poking her head in as she heard the giggling from Chigara's office. Putting down a tool she'd come to Engineering for, she walked around Chigara's desk as the blue haired girl gave a peep of further embarrassment and sank further into her chair.

Taking one look at the screen, Icari threw back her head, laughing loudly. "HAHAHA!" Doubling over, Icari clutched her stomach, looking at Claude and Chigara with eyes swimming with tears. "I already knew Claude had bad taste in men, but you too, Chigara? What do you see in that loser anyways? He's just a rich, spoiled schoolboy. I-it's not like anyone could seriously like him, r-right?" said Icari, trailing off with a defiant look in her eyes.

"Mmmm..." Chigara's eyes were glued to the screen. "The Captain's always doing what's best for the crew, but there's something lonely and empty about him... I... I want to help. So that he doesn't have to be alone anymore..."

"Ah..." Claude sighed happily. "The purity and innocence of a maiden's first love..."

"M-maiden's... l-love?!" Chigara stuttered, turning red and waving her hands wildly.

"HA!" Icari threw an arm around Chigara's shoulders. "It's nothing a wild night at Stardust wouldn't fix! A few hard drinks, some pounding bass, we'll blast that innocence right out of your head and make you a real woman!"

"S-stop it!" Chigara puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. "T-the Captain doesn't like women like t-that..."

"Heh... you're hopeless," Icari flicked her long ponytail behind her. "What men _Really_ want is a woman who'll take control, toss him down, get on top, and-"

Claude bumped Icari out of the way with her curvy hip, clapping her hands over Chigara's ears protectively. "Don't corrupt our pure maiden, Icari!"

"Oh sure," Icari rolled her eyes, "Like you've got anything better to say!"

"You'd better make a move fast, Chigara!" Claude sang into Chigara's ear from behind her chair. "Otherwise I'm going to snatch him away from you~"

"It's going to have to be a pretty good move," commented Icari with a predatory smile. "The Commander's got him on a pretty tight leash. N-not that I've been thinking about it or anything," Icari turned pink and tried her best to look aloof.

"Oooohhhh... someone's jealous~" Claude's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Could our schoolboy have thawed even the cold blooded mercenary's frozen heart?"

"S-shut up!" Icari crossed her arms huffily. "Y-you don't have any idea what you're talking about. I- hey, wait a minute," Icari's eyes narrowed as she looked at the security screen, which had switched back to real time. "Who's that?"

"Don't change the subject, Icari, we were just getting to the good part..." Claude said, invading her personal space.

"Drop it, you floozy," answered Icari, shoving Claude back to the other side of Chigara. "I'm being serious; isn't that the Alliance spy?"

Chigara frowned, tapping the keyboard rapidly, enhancing the image and zooming in where Icari was pointing. Sure enough, Kryska's face came into focus, her eyes darting around suspiciously as she checked that the coast was clear.

"What's she doing?" muttered Chigara. "That's one of the warp core terminals..."

"Look!" Icari pointed as Kryska drew a black box from her uniform, popping the terminal's access panel open and plugging the slim device into the terminal's wiring. "We've got to do something!"

Without waiting for an answer, Icari jumped up, a pistol suddenly appearing in her hands. Sprinting out of the room, Chigara at her heels, Icari snapped her bracelet up to her mouth. "Captain, Captain! We need you down in Engineering, right away!"

As the two disappeared around the corner, Claude dallied for a moment before happily taking Chigara's seat. "Now it's just me and you, Captain~!"

* * *

"Step away from that computer, Lieutenant." Icari pointed her gun at the back of Kryska's head as she knelt by the gutted terminal. "If you even think about pulling something, you're going to wind up a few fries short of a happy meal."

Behind Icari, Chigara hovered nervously, eyes flicking between the barrel of Icari's gun and the violated terminal by Kryska.

"Put your hands up, turn around and step away from the computer slowly," ordered Icari. "Chigara, check it out."

Kryska did as she was bade, allowing Chigara to examine the device she attached. Frowning, Chigara whipped out her holo and began to interface with it.

"You're making a mistake," Kryska said calmly, looking straight at Icari without remorse.

"I don't think so," Icari glared back at Kryska. "Tsch. I should have known better than to trust you Alliance types."

"What's going on here!?" demanded Kayto, rushing on scene, his hair messy with bed head. Ava trailed closely behind him, her supernatural sense for something amiss aboard the _Sunrider_ having brought her out as well. "Everyone slow down. Icari... take it easy with that gun."

"Relax, Captain," Icari's finger tightened on the trigger by a hair. "So long as the Lieutenant keeps both her hands where I can see them, nobody's going to get hurt. Chigara and I caught her snooping around, she's attached some kind of device to that warp core terminal."

"An unfortunate misunderstanding, Captain." Kryska's voice was colder than space. "I was merely running a diagnostic scan on the ship's performance specs so that I could formulate a tactical plan for the coming battle."

"Chigara?" asked Kayto.

"I-it's some kind of data copier..." Chigara tapped at her holo a bit more. "It looks like it was trying to hack into our secure data buffers. Maintenance logs, warp calculations, any modifications and schematics we have; this device was trying to copy all of it."

"You're sure of it?"

"Yes Captain," Chigara nodded unhappily. "I'm afraid so. We also have surveillance evidence of the Lieutenant placing the device. There's no question."

Kayto rubbed his brow with frustration. Of all the times something like this could happen. With five PACT fleets inbound, he could not afford to have the crew at each other's throats or looking over their shoulders every five minutes. "Look, people... we're all supposed to be on the same side here."

"She's a spy, Alliance Black Ops!" Icari's forearm tensed. "Captain, let me take her down to the brig before she gets the chance to slit our throats or something. These people are accountable to no one and they don't care who gets in the way of their mission parameters."

"For the record, the Alliance does not have a Black Ops division," growled Kryska, hackles raised.

"Sure, and I'm Chigara's fairy god mother," Icari spat. "Don't give me that bullshit company line; I've done enough jobs for you people to know you don't mind getting your hands dirty. What kind of self-respecting military doesn't have a Black Ops?"

"The kind that tolerates and hires freelancers like yourself, Ms. Isidolde," sniped back Kryska as Icari flushed slightly.

Kayto was about to open his mouth to say something when a wailing klaxon sounded through the ship.

"Damn!" Ava jumped, consulting her bracelet. "Captain; it's a proximity alert; PACT forces are dropping out of warp!"

"Of all the-" Kayto ground his teeth. "All right, stow it people. We'll sort this out after we're done being shot at by the PACT fleet. Man your stations, NOW!" he barked.

With one last glare, Icari holstered her pistol before turning to run for the Ryder hanger, Chigara and Kryska at her heels.


	18. First Arrival

**Well, this chapter concludes the events of Sunrider: First Arrival. If you've been reading along, show some love and leave a quick thought or two! The fate of the beach scene chapter depends on it! (Got your attention now, don't I? Perv.) Just kidding, all in good fun; I'll keep publishing regardless, but it does make me happy when people write back.**

 **Sherlockinator- Funny, thanks for catching the port/starboard thing. Not going to change it, but you're right. As for the shields, I made that change so that the Sunrider could do that whole overloading trick to escape the Legion; it's just a plot device. I also changed the line in Claude's scene since Sunrider hadn't fired its Vanguard yet, but you're right, I like Saviors better. I wanted to play on the wave-particle duality nature of Sola's weapon, so I decided to just make it travel at light speed (not sure where you got the 50% from). Anyways, it's all, as you say, nit-picking. Thanks for pointing it out, but usually there's a reason why I deviate from explicitly stated game lore/events. You'll also notice I don't have Kayto say "Fire Vanguards" or refer to the cannon in pleural. Beach scene up next.**

* * *

"Sitrep!" Kayto demanded as he dropped into the Captain's seat.

Ava strapped in beside him, tapping furiously at her monitors. "Massive energy signatures approximately ten thousand kilometers dead ahead. I'm reading over six hundred individual sensor spikes, Captain..."

Kayto clenched a fist. That was nearly a hundred ships in excess of what their projections had initially suggested; his fleet would be outnumbered more than six to one. Keying the comms to the Ryder hanger, Kayto paged Asaga. "Asaga, status!"

"Ready and waitin' Capt'n!" Asaga's avatar activated in the CIC, not a trace of fatigue on her face. "Give me the word and we'll go mess 'em up!"

Unbidden, Icari's avatar also appeared. "Tsch... I just hope the Alliance spy doesn't stab us in the back out there..."

"We'll deal with that later, focus on the mission in front of us now, Icari. I need every Ryder I have at one hundred percent."

"Yes, Sir," Icari nodded.

"Lieutenant Stares," Kayto keyed her comm channel open. The Alliance officer appeared on the CIC, her face inscrutable. "Regardless of any other standing orders you have from your superiors, the Alliance has assured me that you will comply with my command during combat operations. Are we going to have any problems?"

"No, Sir!" Kryska saluted. "The Paladin is at your command, Sir!"

"Captain, we're being hailed by the PACT flagship," announced Ava grimly.

"Put our favorite Veniczar on." Kayto cut the communications with his pilots.

"BWAHAHAHA!" Cullen's jowls quivered with glee as he snorted and let loose with a belly laugh. Hoisting his belt around his massive girth, Cullen eyed Kayto with extreme dislike on his face. "So... this is all the mighty Solar Alliance could muster to defend Far Port! This will be far too easy!"

"Veniczar Porkchops," Kayto glared at him defiantly. "The Alliance has over one thousand ships en route; now that you've provoked an Alliance intervention, it's all over for the PACT. Your days in the Neutral Rim are numbered."

"You fool!" Cullen chortled. "My fleet will crush the Alliance fleets the same way they smashed through your Neutral Rim. The future belongs to the PACT! Not that you'll ever see it; prepare to be slaughtered like animals, Captain. This is goodbye."

As Cullen's communication cut off, Kayto turned to Ava. "Ava, bring up our tactical situation on the main screen."

"Aye, Captain," Ava tapped a few keys, causing the main screen to show Far Port and the Second Fleet holding high orbit. Their small green fleet was almost pitifully dwarfed by the size of the PACT forces, which had arrayed into five separate attack fleets. Cullen's main command fleet was flanked on both sides by two additional fleets which accelerated towards the Alliance Second Fleet. Behind them, two additional reserve fleets struggled to catch up with the vanguard.

"Fleets one and two appear to be comprised of fast frigates and destroyers," announced Ava, consulting their scans of the enemy fleet. "Fleets three and four are almost entirely cruisers, but they've warped out too far behind the battle lines; ETA four hours at sublight speeds. The fifth fleet is the PACT core; all their battleships and carriers are grouped together, along with Cullen's flagship."

"And the _Legion_?" asked Kayto.

"She's holding position at the edge of the system," announced Ava, no small relief in her voice. "She appears to merely be observing the battle."

"That's one small blessing..." Kayto muttered.

"Captain; Cullen's fleet has deployed in a fully offensive stance. Judging from their deployment, fleets one and two will circle ahead of the main fleet and flank us, boxing us in as his command fleet bombards us with their battleships and overwhelms our lines with Ryders. The cruiser fleets will likely engage in mop up operations for any ships that manage to fight their way out." Ava projected her analysis of the battle, showing the Second Fleet penned in and annihilated by the PACT forces. "Captain, we need to scatter now before they can encircle us; hit-and-run tactics are the only way we'll last more than ten minutes against a fleet like that."

"No." Kayto tapped his lips thoughtfully, an utterly insane idea forming in his mind.

"Captain?" Ava stared at him incredulously.

"Cullen's fleet has only engaged weakly defended Neutral Rim worlds and the Imperial Remnants since he defected during the PACT Revolution. He's overconfident and underestimates us, just look at the way he's arranged his ships."

"I don't follow, Sir... he still outnumbers us six to one." Ava wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"All his fleets are separated, they're not fighting as a cohesive unit. They might outnumber us in total, but the total number of effective ships he has is a lot fewer if we take the fight to him," Kayto thought out loud, the plan clicking in his mind. It was a hellishly risky idea, but... just maybe... it would be enough to turn the battle in the Alliance's favor.

"We charge forward," explained Kayto, taking control of the tactical screen and showing Ava his plan. "Cullen's never had to deal with an offensive attack before; he only knows how to overrun defenses. By dividing his fleet into five parts, he's left his entire command group open to attack; those battleships and carriers don't have any protection from any of their escort ships. The Second Fleet will warp right next to the command fleet. The fast frigates and destroyers will overshoot us and have to circle around to engage us. Meanwhile, we'll commit our entire fleet to taking out Cullen's command ships; at knife fight range, their battleships and carriers will be vulnerable to our Alliance cruisers and we'll have the advantage."

Ava stared at Kayto's plan with barely concealed horror fascination. "That's... insane..."

"But it might just work," answered Kayto with more confidence than ever. The plan sounded suicidal on paper, but, by gut instinct, Kayto had a feeling this would be their only shot at saving Far Port and the Second Fleet from complete rout.

"We'll still be right in the middle of over four hundred pissed off PACT ships," objected Ava. "What's your plan for that?"

Kayto shrugged. "We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. Ava, listen, our objective isn't the protection of Far Port as much as it is the protection of the Alliance systems beyond it. With their entire command fleet sunk, the PACT will have no way of coordinating an offensive into Alliance space; this is the only way we can fulfill the mission. Hopefully it'll also throw their fleet into enough disarray for us to engage and regroup with the Alliance reinforcements."

"And the _Legion_?" asked Ava.

"Let's just hope she's here to watch the party," muttered Kayto. "If Arcadius is on board, they might not be willing to commit her to the fight."

Ava sighed deeply and preemptively strapped down her crash harness for Kayto's outrageous strategy. "Let's hope you're right..."

"Put me through to the Second Fleet and broadcast our orders and analysis on secure channels," ordered Kayto.

"Done."

The main screen flickered back to show the Alliance Second Fleet, their white and green ships arrayed behind the _Sunrider_ , standing firmly with her against the hundreds of PACT ships bearing down on them. Mass produced to strict specifications on port worlds across Alliance space, the Alliance cruiser was a symbol of their military strength. Built like a brick, the Alliance cruiser was designed for functionality rather than grace. Mounting standard, mass produced deck guns and missile pods, the cruisers were, by no stretch of imagination, ever designed to face such lopsided odds, but for the close melee Kayto intended to commit them to, were perfect for the job. Up close, the Alliance cruiser's smaller profiles and rapid firing guns would give them a tremendous edge over the slow, cumbersome battleships they faced.

"All ships, this is Captain Kayto Shields of the _Sunrider_." Kayto licked his dry lips and swallowed his nervousness. "The enemy is at your gate. Today, the Alliance fights for its very survival against the PACT and you are the only ones standing between that fleet and billions of innocent lives behind you. I've seen with my own eyes what the PACT does to civilian populations of conquered worlds, you know the truth as well. For the sake of your people, for the ones you love and left behind, steel yourselves and prepare to fight as you have never fought before. The enemy outnumbers and outguns us six to one, but they are men and women dragged from their homes and pressed into service to fight a war on foreign soil. You are free men and women of the Solar Alliance who chose today to throw down the gauntlet and draw a line in the sand. You are here by choice, with the knowledge that defeat is not an option for the homes and families you left behind. You are the only ones here today with a reason to fight for and die for victory. Today, we will not scatter in the face of their guns. Today, we take the fight to the enemy and meet them head on! All ships! Prepare to warp to these coordinates on my mark!"

 _Sunrider's_ helmsman activated their warp drives, spooling up for one of the shortest warps their engines were capable of. Behind the _Sunrider_ , the Alliance ships' engines glowed as their own drives spooled up, their captains heeding Kayto's call and committing their ships to his plan.

"All ships reporting ready, Captain," announced Ava. PACT fleets one and two nearing weapons range."

On screen, the stars were blotted out by hundreds of PACT missile frigates and destroyers as they raced towards the Alliance fleet. Thousands of missiles launched simultaneously in a terrifying salvo of indecent proportions.

"MARK!"

 _Sunrider's_ main screen winked off for two seconds as she warped out, reappearing suddenly right in front of Cullen's main fleet. Dozens of PACT battleships stared down at them along the lengths of their massive forward guns. Nearly as many carriers drifted between them, Ryders launching one after another on their long axial runways. Judging from the sudden spike in encrypted comms traffic and the haphazard arrangement of the PACT Ryder formations, the Second Fleet had caught Cullen's ships with their pants down. Clearly, whatever Cullen had expected the Second Fleet to do, it was not to jump straight into the face of his primary fleet.

The PACT battleships' primary armaments were long, axial spinal mounted kinetic drivers designed to snipe out enemy capital ships at extreme ranges. With the Second Fleet at point blank range, however, the cumbersome ships would find it nearly impossible to slew around fast enough to bring their guns to bear on the more nimble cruisers, which would pull up beside them and force the larger ships to fall back on what backup lasers and autocannons they had available on their lateral sides. Without a cruiser escort of their own, the PACT battleships would make for relatively easy prey for Kayto's cruiser fleet.

Interspersed between them, the PACT carriers made for even softer targets, carrying no armaments of their own and entirely dependent on the Ryders in their hulls. Although each carrier carried between one hundred to two hundred PACT Ryders of various types, their greatest weakness was that they could only launch two at a time along their axial runways. Undoubtedly due to Cullen's overconfidence, it seemed the Second Fleet had caught them while they were still in the midst of scrambling their Ryders; the vast majority of their Ryder wings were likely still aboard awaiting launch clearance.

"All ships, break formation and engage enemy ships at close range!" barked Kayto as the Second Fleet scattered at flank speed, flying straight into the PACT formation. "Launch our Ryders and get us into the fight!"

Slipping in between the PACT formation before the battleships could get a clear shot, the lead cruisers of the Second Fleet lashed out against the nearest PACT ships in a deadly, close range melee, emptying salvo after salvo from their deck guns into the larger PACT ships' vulnerable sides. Dozens of Alliance Ryders dropped from their launch bays on the cruiser's ventral side, forming up into attack wings, meeting the PACT Ryders head on in a deadly crossfire of lasers and flak.

What followed was neither subtle nor graceful as the PACT and Alliance fleets fell into the human equivalent of a screaming, clawing hand-to-hand brawl with no move too dirty or underhanded to use. Neither side willing to consider mercy or to give quarter, both the PACT and Alliance ships slugged at each other, pummeling the other without remorse. Entire Alliance cruisers were blasted apart by the powerful forward guns of the PACT battleships, gutted from prow to stern, but there was no stopping the rest of the Second Fleet from closing the gap. Within minutes, dozens of the PACT's finest and largest ships came under assault from all sides by the smaller craft, bleeding atmosphere and getting torn to shreds as the Alliance cruisers exacted a costly revenge for their downed comrades.

Missiles exploded in every direction, lasers cut deadly swaths through the battlefield, and bullets rained down on all combatants as the fight turned into pandemonium. Ships fired every which way, missiles streaked after one another, dragging long trails of frozen propellant across the battlefield, and Alliance and PACT Ryders alike hurtled through the storm, hunting each other in a deadly game of tag.

Kayto winced in the CIC as their main screen turned white as multiple missiles impacted on an Alliance cruiser next to them, blasting gaping holes into her hull and destroying her bridge. Out of control, the wounded Alliance Cruiser accelerated at suicidal speeds towards a nearby PACT carrier, slamming into an open launch bay and detonating as her fusion core overloaded. Additional chain explosions rocked the ship as Ryders inside detonated, gutting the massive carrier from the inside and blowing her to hell.

The scale of destruction was astounding; within fifteen minutes of feverish fighting, no fewer than twenty Alliance cruisers, each representing nearly two hundred crew, had either been sunk outright or damaged beyond combat capabilities. An almost equal number of PACT battleships and carriers, crewed by upwards of five hundred crew for battleships and nearly one thousand for carriers, had also been removed from combat, flensed open by the deadly close range ordinance of the Second Fleet.

"Captain!" Ava's voice cut through the din of proximity and weapons lock warnings; _Sunrider's_ sensors going haywire with so many enemy contacts at close range. "All battle groups engaged, the PACT forces are in complete disarray! Looks like some of them are pulling back and regrouping."

True enough, several battleships and carriers had pulled away from the madness of the fight, struggling to realign and form a defense cordon behind a line of Ryders; among them, Cullen's flagship.

"Don't ease up on the pressure," ordered Kayto. If the PACT forces were given the opportunity to regroup, their advantage would diminish dramatically. "Have our Ryders form up and find me local assets, we're going to break that formation!"

"Roger that, Captain," answered Ava. "Firebrandand Manticore squadrons responding."

"All ahead forward," barked Kayto, tapping a series of commands into his tactical screen and linking with the Alliance squadrons' tactical networks. "All ships, _Sunrider_ will clear a path, engage and fire at will. Ava," Kayto turned to his XO. "Prepare to fire the Vanguard."

"Aye, Sir. Vanguard ready at your command," answered Ava, activating the _Sunrider's_ deadliest armament. "Optimal firing solution achieved."

"Slew us around bearing five-eight, drop our z-axis by two degrees," barked Kayto as the _Sunrider's_ engines answered and maneuvered the ship to its firing position.

Although the _Sunrider_ had left Cera before testing her Vanguard Cannon and had not encountered a tactical situation where it would be of benefit since, Kayto had to admit that the Battle of Far Port was the ideal battleground for the said weapon. With enemy ships and Ryders clustered so tightly together, the Vanguard Cannon's destructive potential outclassed just about anything in the opposing fleet, including the mighty PACT battleships.

"Fire Vanguard!" yelled Kayto as the Vanguard Cannon attained maximum charge.

All along _Sunrider's_ forward length, superconducting magnetic coils came to life, giving the entire front of the ship a hellish red glow as they radiated an unbelievable amount of heat into space. Super-heated plasma outgassed from _Sunrider's_ secondary reactor where the reaction mass was stored, knifing away from _Sunrider's_ prow, accelerated to nearly seven percent the speed of light by the magnetic superconductors along her axis.

The Ryder defense line shattered as nearly a dozen PACT Ryders disappeared before the wake of the Vanguard Cannon's plasma beam. Even those not immediately caught in the blast were slagged or disabled by the heat spilling off the plasma as it passed. The surviving Ryders scattered like insects as the shot continued forward, impacting on the lead PACT battleship.

The front of the PACT battleship literally melted like a wax candle as the Vanguard Cannon's beam touched it, its thick armor plates burning and boiling away until the plasma emerged from the other side of the ship, spearing a Carrier behind it. While the carrier simply detonated, its thin hull having never been designed for any degree of punishment, the PACT battleship held together long enough to have its superheated atmosphere and fire blast out of its side. Spinning like a toy, the enormous ship slammed into another battleship that had drifted too close, caving in the entire port side of the unfortunate ship before both were consumed by twin fusion reactor explosions.

Ava shielded her eyes from the hard, deadly light spilling out of the _Sunrider's_ main screen. "Holy Ryuvia…" The rest of the bridge crew muttered in astonishment as well.

"All ships and Ryders, weapons free! Take them out before they can recover!" ordered Kayto, tapping commands for _Sunrider_ to join the fight as well. If there was one weakness behind the design of the Vanguard Cannon, it was the long recharge cycles between shots. Now that the Vanguard Cannon had fired; _Sunrider_ would be unable to use the same tactic until the plasma had been regenerated from reaction mass.

As _Sunrider_ slugged it out with the larger ships, her Ryder wing formed up underneath her belly.

"Liberty, Bianca, Seraphim, stay back and provide support!" ordered Asaga. "Phoenix, Paladin, let's go; take out some of those red bastards!"

"D-damn!" Icari's voice crackled with static. "There's enough laser fire out here to walk from one ship to another."

Thrusters burning like miniature suns, Phoenix took the lead, beating a path through the hailstorm of lasers and missiles before slicing through a PACT Ryder as it screamed past.

"Watch and learn, Soldier Boy!" grinned Icari as the Phoenix pulled some of the wildest maneuvers it was capable of, drawing no fewer than fifty missiles off course with the heat of its engine emissions and managing to dodge all of them.

"Impressive piloting, Mercenary; but missiles don't count towards kills," Kryska thumbed her firing controls. "I'll show you the might of the Solar Alliance! Safeties disengaged."

Paladin's shoulder cannons dropped down, pointing directly at a PACT carrier that had so far escaped engagement with any hostile forces. Brilliant flashes emerged from the Paladin's eight mass drivers as they discharged one after another, requiring the Paladin's full engine output just to hold steady against the recoil. The black ore slugs streaked forward, slamming into the PACT carrier's open launch tubes and tearing through its hull like tissue paper. For a moment, nothing happened.

"Hah! All bark and no bite!" said Icari, her voice strained with the Phoenix's acceleration, but somehow managing to grin anyways.

Suddenly, the PACT carrier began to gout flames and its engines began to flicker. Slowly, the ship listed to port. Explosions erupted along the sides of her hull, suggesting massive internal damage. Atmosphere blasted out from the hanger as containment failed, venting dozens of disabled and shattered PACT Ryders.

"I'm sorry, didn't quite hear your last transmission, Mercenary. How many kills is that? One carrier, plus a hundred Ryders..." Kryska grinned with menace. "Missiles launching now, firing again."

Two dozen missiles blasted off from the Paladin's frame, oversized for Ryder class missiles, streaking towards the wounded carrier as Paladin's shoulder cannons discharged again, glowing furiously with the heat of the rapid firing cycles. Taking the entire salvo head on, the PACT carrier breathed its last and broke apart into a dozen pieces, its fragmented hull unable to withstand the damage the Paladin had inflicted upon its interior.

"Tsch..." Icari grunted, trying to suppress her astonishment. It wasn't every day you saw a single Ryder take out a capital ship thousands of times its own size. Whatever the Paladin was firing, its armaments surpassed even those of the cruisers in the Second Fleet.

Apparently, the PACT thought so too; no fewer than two dozen Ryders vectored towards the Paladin, pelting Kryska's position with missiles and lasers.

"Look out!" Icari's Phoenix swooped in and launched several tow cables, digging into the Paladin's rear armor plate and reeling it in so that both Ryders were back to back. Thrusters at maximum, the Phoenix dragged the Paladin away, engines heaving against the other Ryder's weight. "D-damn it, this thing weighs more than a cruiser!" Even slowed down, the Phoenix managed to dodge the hailstorm of fire, allowing Paladin to nail several PACT Ryders with autocannon fire.

"Watch it!" Kryska yelled as a dozen target locks from the closest battleships painted Phoenix and Paladin's frames. In a perfect perpendicular firing position, the battleships had the two Ryders pinned with laser and flak fire. Hitting her thrusters, Kryska put the two Ryders into a spin, bringing the Paladin about face in the oncoming fire, rotating Pheonix to its back. Hefting its massive body shield, the Paladin soaked up the laser fire while firing its shoulder cannons at one of the offending ships.

"A-are you crazy?!" Icari yelled as hellish blue light flashed from her rear monitors. Wild thermal and radiation signatures squiggled across her sensor suite as Paladin bore the entire brunt of the battleships' assault. Static filled the comm channel as Icari pounded her console. "Kryska!"

"Stop yelling!" Kryska's irate tone burst through the static. "You almost blew out my speakers; lose your cool, Mercenary?"

"S-shut up," Icari blushed deeply, taking out her frustration on several hapless PACT mooks. "I-it's not like I care anyways..."

"Alert! All pilots; PACT missiles frigates and destroyers on approach to flank, bearing zero eight. They'll be within firing range in five minutes; all cruisers are already engaged, we need you to slow them down!" Ava's voice broke through on the comms channel.

"Seraphim reporting," Sola's brittle voice answered. "I will hold the flank."

"Those ships are over five light seconds away!" Ava protested. "There's no way..."

Sola's eye suddenly started glowing as she awakened her latent combat abilities. Several bright cracks of light lanced out past the thick of the fighting, streaking into the distance. Five seconds later, multiple explosions dotted the sky as the Sola's shots connected at extreme range.

"Reloading, acquiring new targets." Sola's Ryder leveled its gun into the distance before discharging its rifle again.

"Unbelievable... she's shooting down entire frigates with a single shot..." muttered Ava in the CIC. "Warning... PACT cruisers are coming into firing range! The Second Fleet is taking heavy fire!"

"What's the status on the enemy command fleet?" shouted Kayto, _Sunrider_ rocking with impacts.

"The Second Fleet has sunk most of the command ships, but Cullen's flagship still remains!" Ava's hands flew over her console as she consulted a new sensor contact. "Captain! I'm detecting a massive energy spike... it's the _Legion_!"

"Damn!" Kayto pounded his arm rest. He had hoped the _Legion_ would stay out of the fight, but it seemed his worse fear would come to pass; the PACT super-dreadnought was prepared to join in the fight. "Order all ships to take immediate evasive action!"

Hellish red light filled the main screen as the _Legion's_ primary weapon beam discharged into the midst of the fighting. Even at that extreme distance, the _Legion's_ weapon was more than powerful enough to torch any ships near its path. Slamming indiscriminately into the PACT and Alliance fleets alike, the _Legion's_ shot narrowly missed the _Sunrider_ but took out nearly a dozen of Kayto's remaining cruisers along with two disabled PACT battleships and an innumerable number of Ryders from both sides.

"Arcadius, you insane son-of-a-bitch!" Kayto was horrified at the casual way the _Legion_ had sacrificed her own ships and pilots in order to take a shot at his fleet.

"Hiakili squad annihilated! Taylor squad is down to three cruisers!" reported Ava, equally shocked at the casual disregard for human life shown by the _Legion_.

"Merge Taylor squad with Arturia! Have all ships scatter and close distance with PACT ships; don't let them fire another shot without taking twice as many of their own ships!" ordered Kayto, sacrificing his fleet's integrity in the hopes of discouraging the _Legion_ from firing its primary armament again.

"Captain! The Second Fleet's almost on the verge of rout; we can't hold our position much longer," reported Ava grimly.

"Then let's finish the job," Kayto tapped orders into his tactical screen. "We've got to take Cullen's flagship out, then we can disengage!"

As if he could hear their conversation, Cullen's avatar suddenly appeared on the CIC. Even though he was sweaty and pale-looking with confusion swirling behind his piggy eyes, he managed to puff out his chest and take heart in the _Legion's_ sudden entrance into the battle. "Captain!" he bellowed. "This battle is far from over! Prepare to die!"

"Multiple hits on forward decks!" reported Ava as _Sunrider_ shuddered angrily and sparks flew from overloaded conduits in the CIC. "Captain! Cullen's flagship is targeting us with everything it has!"

"Your pathetic ship is no match for mine!" chortled Cullen, glee in his eyes. "There's no way you can overcome my armor before I sink your rat-infested vessel!"

Gritting his teeth, Kayto tried to think furiously of a way to get _Sunrider_ out of her predicament. Even with her Saviors and Trinities firing so fast that their cooling systems were liable to catastrophic failure, it seemed Cullen was right; his flagship was simply too large and too well-armed to be taken down quickly enough.

"As if I'll let you!" Asaga's brash voice butted in on the CIC.

"Captain! Black Jack is accelerating towards the Veniczar's flagship!" reported Ava, panic cracking the edges of her voice. "Asaga's going in alone!"

"Asaga!" Chigara's avatar appeared, looking horrified. "You can't!"

"EAAHHH!" Asaga screamed as the Black Jack rocketed past overlapping fields of flak fire, somehow dodging through the hailstorm intact.

"What do you plan to do with that tiny Ryder!?" laughed Cullen. "Intensify forward batteries, don't let her through!"

"Captain!" Chigara shouted in surprise. "Asaga's undone all safety limits on her engines and lasers!"

"Asaga!" Kayto yelled, terrified as Black Jack flew towards the flagship at speeds exceeding even those of the Phoenix.

The flak turrets on Cullen's ship fired wildly, straining to track the Ryder, but their software had no way of keeping up with the Black Jack's speed as it streaked straight for the ship's command deck.

"Don't... Mess... WITH ME!"

Kayto was taken aback by the pilot's sudden scream as her eyes widened. Bright blue light awakened behind one of her eyes, similar to the effect he'd seen Sola use when overriding the Seraphim's safety limiters. Asaga's avatar stared forward with deadly intent, her face in a serious grimace filled with burning fury that Kayto had never seen the typically cheerful pilot wear.

On the main screen, Black Jack's frame was engulfed in pure, almost white light as Asaga discharged her Ryder's shoulder lasers straight into the command deck, not two hundred meters from the window.

"My Beautiful Reward… EAAAAHHHH! NO! NOOOO!" Cullen's face glowed with the light of Asaga's incoming laser fire, issuing a high pitched scream as his avatar disappeared.

The entire flagship's command deck exploded in brilliant light as Black Jack's lasers cut through the bridge, wiping out the entire command crew. Angling her cannons downwards, Asaga's lasers sawed into the ship, cutting through deck after deck and leaving ragged trenches where her lasers touched.

"ASAGA!" Chigara screamed, red lights flashing in her face as her Ryder scanned the Black Jack's overloaded systems. "STOP! Black Jack can't take anymore!"

Blasting off from the Liberty's back, Chigara's repair drones swarmed towards the Black Jack, which continued indiscriminately pumping laser shots into Cullen's sinking flagship. On reaching Black Jack, the drones immediately deployed laser cutters, slicing off the laser cannons while other drones latched onto the four barrels, dragging the severed weapons away moments before they detonated spectacularly.

"Enemy flagship sunk!" reported Ava, eyes wide at the unfolding drama. "PACT forces are in complete rout!"

"Liberty! Have your drones tow Asaga's Ryder back now! Use a remote shutdown if you have to!" bellowed Kayto as Black Jack struggled furiously against the repair drones before turning limp as Chigara forced a shutdown of its systems.

"Second Fleet is down to eighteen operation ships, Captain!" shouted Ava. "We've lost more than two thirds of the fleet; we can't take any more of this!"

"Scatter the fleet, have all ships perform emergency warps to their fallback coordinates! We've done all we can here!" ordered Kayto. "All Ryders, return to _Sunrider._ Initiate hard combat landings!"

 _Sunrider's_ ventral bay opened up as her Ryders came crashing home.

"Bianca, Liberty, Black Jack, and Seraphim on board!" reported Ava.

"Where's Icari and Kryska!?" Kayto asked furiously. "Don't warp until we confirm all Ryder pilots aboard."

"Captain! Half our sections are venting atmosphere! _Sunrider's_ hull integerity is poor; we'll break apart if we stay any longer!"

"No one gets left behind!" snapped Kayto. "Phoenix, Paladin, do you copy?!"

"...nix coming in!" Icari's strained voice grated over the comms. "Damn, the Paladin's heavy!"

Main screens affixed their view on Icari and Kryska's Ryders. Paladin was slumped and trailing smoke, sporting hundreds of laser marks and impact craters from bullets as the Phoenix dragged it furiously towards the _Sunrider_ , both Ryders tangled up in a mess of tow cables.

"Leave the Paladin, Mercenary! You can still make it!" shouted Kryska.

"F-forget it!" Icari practically screamed back. "Phoenix can do it!"

Overriding her safeties as well, Icari pushed the Pheonix's engines past her engine redlines, squeezing ever last ounce of thrust out of her beleaguered Ryder. Multiple warning lights and alarms activated as the Phoenix's reactor started to destabilize.

"Phoenix, you've got two mooks on your back!" shouted Ava.

"D-damn!" Icari silenced the alarms and pushed her systems even further as sparks flew in her cockpit. A sudden explosion rocked her entire cabin as nearly a dozen other alarms set off.

Outside the Phoenix, the intense heat and thrust of Icari's hard burn heated her external thusters to a white hot glow. Suddenly, twin explosions coughed out of the main thrusters as the heat became too much for her systems to bear, blasting the Heratium coated exhaust ports clear off the Ryder. Exploding, the two engine manifolds shredded the two PACT Ryders into a thousand pieces as razor sharp Heratium filaments cut them down as effectively as armor piercing rounds.

"AAARRGGGHH!" Icari and Kryska screamed as their combined Ryders blasted into _Sunrider's_ hanger, tumbling wildly as magnetic grapples struggled to decelerate them fast enough to prevent them from smashing into pieces on the hanger's far wall.

"Insufficient distance to decelerate!" shouted Ava as the two Ryders punched past the several hundred meter length of the hanger in a split second.

Paladin suddenly flipped over, rear engines blazing as Kryska struggled to overcome their combined inertia. "Hold on!" she screamed as the two Ryders plummeted towards the far wall. With a crunch, the Paladin slammed into the wall, Phoenix landing on top of it.

"Get us out of here!" shouted Kayto. "All ships, general retreat!"

"WAIT!" Ava shouted "Massive energy spike detected behind us! It's the Alliance!"

From behind, space teased apart as hundreds of emerald and white ships suddenly dropped out of warp on top of the PACT fleet. Without so much as a moment's hesitation, the entire fleet opened fire. Thousands of missiles streaked forward, blowing apart dozens of PACT frigates and destroyers before they could even register the sudden appearance of the Alliance reinforcements. As the smaller ships scattered, thrown into complete disarray, the Alliance fleet barreled forward, hundreds of Ryders deploying from massive carriers and dozens of battleships firing long range cannons at what was left of Cullen's core fleet.

"Captain." Admiral Grey's avatar appeared on the CIC, flickering with distortion from _Sunrider's_ damaged systems. "I commend you for holding out this long against such odds. The First Fleet is here to relieve your forces."

"Admiral," Kayto nodded with relief. "We'd be glad for the assistance, Sir!"

"All ships!" barked the Admiral, addressing his fleet. "Show those red bastards the strength of the Emerald Fleet. Cover what's left of the Second Fleet and provide assistance to any damaged Alliance vessel, I don't want the PACT taking a single shot at any of the heroes who held Far Port with their blood and determination! All ships, Fire!"

* * *

"Veniczar," Fontana bowed, face pale as he and Arcadius observed the unfolding slaughter from the observation deck of the _Legion_. "Cullen's fleet has been annihilated. Our forces are in complete disarray and in full retreat from the Alliance forces."

"Fool, we have long suspected his incompetence." Arcadius's high voice trembled with fury.

"Two hundred fresh Alliance ships from the First Fleet. More are en route according to our spies" Fontana stared at his bracelet's readout with distaste etched on his face. "Shall I command the _Legion_ and our reserve forces to engage?"

Arcadius paused for a moment, watching explosions dot the sky in front of the _Legion_. "No." Turning towards Fontana, Arcadius's rage radiated in palpable waves. "This battle no longer favors us. Order our forces to fall back. We will join them."

"Yes, Veniczar," Fontana bowed deeply and strode from the deck to coordinate the retreat from the _Legion's_ CIC.

Alone, Arcadius continued to watch as the survivors of the battle warped away, fleeing the fury of the Emerald Fleet as it pressed forward. Of the nearly six dozen battleships and carriers Cullen's fleet had started out with, fewer than twenty managed to perform emergency warp jumps from the carnage. Hundreds of smaller ships, cruisers, destroyers, and frigates also warped out, leaving nothing but the husks of dead ships and thousands of escape pods in their wake.

"This loss is irrelevant," Arcadius's hands clenched into fists. "Soon, the galaxy shall see the power of what we accomplished at Diode and tremble before us!"

Mad laughter echoed unheard on the _Legion's_ observation deck as the super-dreadnought spun its own drives and dove into darkness.

* * *

"Asaga!" Chigara face was pale as she clambered onto Black Jack's prone form and popped the emergency hatch release lever from its recessed housing. Pulling the lever with all her might and rotating it clockwise, Black Jack's pilot hatch hissed open loudly, pneumatic systems struggling against the battered door. "Asaga!"

"Ugh..." Asaga's voice groaned out from the darkened cockpit. "Where am I?"

Chigara's knees almost buckled with relief. Throwing herself headfirst into the Ryder, Chigara re-emerged with Asaga's arm pulled over her shoulder, supporting the bewildered and dazed pilot as they staggered from Black Jack's damaged frame.

"Whoa!" Asaga's voice sounded slurred as her legs wobbled, sending the two of them tumbling to the hanger deck. "Why are mah lips so... blobby?"

"I-is Asaga alright?" Chigara looked at her friend fearfully as Asaga rolled on the floor, drooling slightly and rubbing her cheek against the metal deckplates.

"The first Awakening is always the most difficult," Sola's quiet voice came from behind them, making Chigara jump.

"Will it go away?" Chigara asked.

"Yes, she merely needs to rest," Sola shrugged before dropping to the deck as well, leaning her head back against the Black Jack's soot covered frame, breathing hard. "As do I..."

"That's incredible..." Chigara sounded awed. "I've never seen a Ryder respond like that to a pilot..."

"Gene modifications can only take you so far," Sola closed her eyes, seemingly drifting in and out of sleep herself. "Nanomachines allow us to interface directly with Ryder systems. The human brain becomes a secondary computer, allowing Ryders to compensate and push their limits beyond what is normally acceptable, for a time at least. Nanites from Asaga's mother and her mother before her must have passed through the generations..."

"That makes sense," Chigara said with curiosity. "I suppose the extra processing power can be used for microadjustments to reactor and weapon output that would normally be unthinkable... the toll must be incredible..."

Turning to look at the two Ryuvian princesses, Chigara found that both Asaga and Sola had fallen asleep, Sola looking far more dignified than Asaga, who drooled happily onto the deck.

"Oh dear... I suppose I should find some way to move them..." Chigara said nervously, hovering over the two, but smiling all the same.

Across the bay, Icari and Kryska struggled to pull themselves free of their smoking Ryders as well.

"Ugh..." Icari flopped out of the Phoenix like a fish as Kryska staggered from the Paladin's hatch, both of them collapsing onto the deck, sitting back to back. "I... can't believe... we made it..." panted Icari.

"We make... quite the team... Ms. Isidolde," answered Kryska, gulping for air just as hard, pushing a sweaty lock of hair out of her eyes. "It was pleasure to fight alongside you."

"I guess you're a pretty good shot too... Call me Icari, I never liked formality," Icari tried to wave her hand dismissively, but the gesture was too much trouble. Leaning back, fatigue taking over, Icari felt Kryska's head loll as well, the two of them leaning against each other, heads side by side, to stay upright.

"Well, well," Kayto and Ava emerged from the lift, taking in the sight of the exhausted Ryder wing and walking up to Icari and Kryska who were closest. Coughing slightly with all the smoke in the air, Kayto nevertheless offered a giant grin to his crew. "You two seem to be getting along for a change."

"Captain!" Kryska struggled to her feet as Icari fell over sideways, grumbling. "I apologize for my actions before the battle, Sir! I fully expect to be escorted to the brig by Commander Crescentia now that the crisis has passed."

"That won't be necessary." Kayto gave a weary smile. "I'll make sure Chigara forwards you the data you were looking for. It seems to me like we're going to be a team from now on. We need to start learning to trust each other like you and Icari have. If we get anything done, it's going to be together. Next time you need something like that, just ask first."

"Sir!" Kryska saluted with a happy expression on her face. "Understood! Next time my superiors wish for information, I will personally inform you, Sir!"

"Save the sentimentality," grumbled Icari, struggling to her feet as well and glaring at Kayto. "J-just because we fly well together doesn't mean we're friends or anything. W-we're just working together. For now!"

"Oooohhhh..." Claude's dreamy voice floated over as she caught the scent of drama. "Looks like someone's blushing~"

"S-shut up!" Icari pointed a threatening finger at the pink haired pilot. "It's only so that we can beat the PACT!"

"I knew you were a bit that way!" Claude giggled with lust in her eyes. "My, my, this entire ship's turning into quite the love nest... ufufu~"

Kayto and Ava turned away as Icari screamed and lunged at Claude who happily danced out of the way and led the exhausted mercenary on a chase around the hanger.

"Hard to believe this was just an empty hanger when we left Cera," remarked Kayto as the two of them walked.

"You said you'd gather allies from across the galaxy," Ava smiled broadly. "Looks like you did, after a fashion."

Kayto grinned. "I did, didn't I?"

"Don't get too full of yourself, Captain," warned Ava, half-serious. "This is only the first battle of the war, we've got a long way to go."

"Hard to take you seriously when you're grinning ear-to-ear like that," ribbed Kayto as Ava flushed.

"I-I am Not grinning ear-to-ear!" protested Ava, crimson faced. "Mmou..." Face softening, Ava gave into the emotion, rewarding Kayto with a shy, bare smile before she looked away quickly. "Well done, Captain... well done..."

* * *

"But I still await the completion of you paperwork."


	19. Beached

**Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter! It seemed like half of my readers were looking forward to last chapter; the other half to this chapter. For the story, of course. Anyways, I hope it doesn't disappoint; the beach scene seems to be a love/hate thing among Sunrider fans. I may have... spruced up Sola's scenes a bit. In an utterly non-biased way... of course... Ah who am I kidding? As always, let me know what you think!**

* * *

Sunlight beat down hard on Ava's black Cera Space Force uniform as she trudged across what seemed to be mile after mile of sand. A scourging, salty breeze worked its way through her hair, irritating and scouring her skin, making her long for the dust-free, filtered air she'd become accustomed to in space. All manner of sounds and smells assaulted her senses as she forced herself to continue walking, one foot in front of the other.

"First Officer's log," she gasped into her bracelet, the dry, salty air rasping at her throat as she mounted yet another sand dune, staggering down its slope in her stocking and heels. "It's been almost a month since we've been marooned in this godforsaken place... Day by day, crew discipline disintegrates and decays. The chain of command no longer has meaning here... lost to chaos... anarchy... I can see it in the eyes of the crew. Weakness... they would rather stay than return to their duties. I fear it is only a matter of time before we have a full blown mutiny on our hands. The Captain, of course, does nothing. It, therefore, falls to I, Ava Crescentia, First Officer of the _Sunrider_ to maintain order or die trying! I-"

Ava's speech was cut off as several swimsuit clad women emerged over a sandbank behind her, carrying mats and towels, umbrellas, and other beach essentials.

"Hey Ava, whatcha' doin' over there?" asked Asaga, dropping her gear and popping over Ava's shoulder as she tried get a better look at the First Officer. The pilot was wearing a two piece swimsuit, blue and white stripes.

"HURK." Ava froze, an extremely forced smile, almost a grimace, on her face as she stared at the approaching women with barely concealed horror.

"H-hehe..." Chigara laughed nervously, unsure what to make of Ava's facial expression. Putting down her things gently, Chigara walked up as well, dressed in a cheerful, skirted one piece yellow and polka-dotted swimsuit. "I-it's still Commander Crescentia, Asaga..."

"Oy!" Asaga stuck her tongue out, protesting. "The Capt'n, I mean, Kayto said no ranks while we're on vacation!"

Ava gave a soft moan of pain and horror as she watched the others come over, eyes glazed, knuckles white.

"Oh my..." Claude sighed, striking a dramatic pose in her very revealing pink bikini. "Looks like I barely fit in this anymore... these bikini straps are so tight they might burst at any time..."

"Ceran... regulations..." Ava gasped as she stared at the ninety eight percent of Claude that was not covered. Sweat began to bead on her forehead.

"Put those away," grumbled Icari, folding her arms over her more modest, but admittedly, more proportional cleavage. "N-nobody wants to see them." Icari also wore a two piece bikini, yellow, although hers left more to the imagination than Claude's did.

"They're a woman's best weapons," lectured Claude. "You're not... intimidated are you, Icari?"

"Gurk!" Icari's eyes bulged and her smug attitude started to crack.

"Hahaha!" Kryska pointed at Icari triumphantly. The Alliance officer wore short, boyish swimming trunks and a top piece resembling a training bra. "If you had a bit more armor, you wouldn't need to be afraid of those!"

"You've got armor alright," snapped Icari. "But looks like you've drawn a short straw in the weapons department." Meaningfully, Icari arched her eyebrow at Kryska's flat chest, her small breasts further diminished by the tight upper piece she wore.

"You!" Kryska lunged at Icari who danced out of the way, sand spraying behind her slim legs.

"What's the matter, Soldier Boy?" laughed Icari. "Can't keep up with my speed?"

As the two chased each other, periodically wrestling and grappling whenever one caught up, Ava watched with mounting hysteria. "Fraternization... strictly forbidden!"

"Mouu..." Chigara looked at her own chest unhappily as she regarded Claude.

"You've got some growing up to do before you can compete with me," laughed Claude, puffing her chest out at the distraught engineer.

"T-the Captain's not interested in those, the Captain's not interested in those..." muttered Chigara, closing her eyes as Claude advertised herself.

"Chigara... Captain... Those..." Sweat pour down Ava's face as a weird tic began twitching in her temple.

"Hey Commander!" Asaga threw an arm around Ava's shoulders, showering her pristine uniform with sand. "Is it true... That you made out with the Capt'n in high school?"

"Mphfff" Ava's vision went blurry as her eyes crossed.

"You did, didn't you?!" Asaga thumped her on the back. "You minx! How far did you two get? Second base? Third base? What's he like in bed?"

"EEEAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Ava screamed out loud, grabbing fistfuls of hair before fleeing the madness before her, unable to take any more. Knocking Asaga to the ground, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her before tripping over a buried piece of driftwood and falling flat on her face in a plume of sand.

"Fatality..." Sola muttered as she casually walked past, dressed in a sleek navy one-piece swimsuit with yellow accents.

* * *

"Ugh..." Ava brushed at her uniform for the hundredth time, convinced that she could still feel grains of sand rubbing uncomfortably into her skin from her uniform despite the _Sunrider's_ decontamination protocols. "Captain... why?"

"Eh?" Kayto peered over his holo at his exhausted XO, trying desperately not to nod off as he worked on a stack of paperwork that had accumulated since the Defense of Far Port. "Why what?"

"I must protest your decision to grant the crew extended leave during these trying times!" Ava looked at him with desperation in her eyes. "There's a war going on!"

"Ava," Kayto looked at her sternly. "After Far Port and everything before, I think the crew's earned this one. Besides, the PACT fleet took a major blow at Far Port; given the tactical situation, the rest of the war will be fought in the Neutral Rim, not Alliance Space. This crew's responsible for saving billions of lives and putting the PACT fleet on the defensive; they deserve some R&R."

"But Captain!" Ava shook her head vehemently. "Those accomplishments were only made possible through constant vigilance and discipline! We cannot let our guard down simply because of victory at the first battle of the war. Cullen was a fool! Arcadius is not. The PACT will be back; we need to be ready for them!"

Kayto sighed and turned off his holo, giving up on the paperwork. "Listen to yourself, Ava; you need a break more than anyone on this boat. When was the last time you did something fun?"

"F-fun?!" Ava looked at him in disbelief.

"Yes. Fun." Kayto cocked an eyebrow at his First Officer as she gawked at him. The two sat in silence for several long seconds. "Exactly my point," he said.

"But the paperwork..." Ava groped desperately for an excuse.

"Can wait." Kayto rose from his desk, stretching and making an executive decision. "Come on, we're joining the crew. Buy yourself a swimsuit. Have some drinks. Make some mistakes."

"Captain!" Ava protested. "This is a mistake! Woman's Intuition!"

"That's an order, Commander," winked Kayto, disappearing to his personal space and rummaging for his swimming trunks.

"Absolutely... Unbelievable..."

* * *

"Ahhh!" Asaga stretched out luxuriously on her beach towel as she basked in the warm sunlight, listening to the crashing of waves and the cries of gulls. "This is incredible! Hard to believe we're even on a space station!"

Kryska propped herself up on one arm, looking out into the distance appreciatively. "The Lydia's one of the biggest resort stations in Alliance Space," she said proudly. "One hundred acres of forest and beach; you won't find a better spot for a vacation anywhere in the galaxy, just another one of the Alliance's cutting edge technologies! Hahaha!"

"Do they pay you to advertise for the Alliance or something?" grumbled Icari, hiding behind a large pair of shades, but sprawled out in comfort all the same. "Oh man, this is the life... beaches and drinks on the Alliance's tab... a girl could get used to this."

Looking around, Chigara had a worried expression on her face. "The Commander's been gone for a long time... do you think she's OK?"

"Ah," Icari waved lackadaisically. "She's probably cracked and hiding in a cave somewhere shouting orders to hermit crabs. Besides, she was being a buzzkill anyways..."

"Whoa!" Asaga shot up with interest. "Is that the Capt'n?"

Sure enough, Kayto's white hair signaled his approach from the distance.

"Ooohhh..." Claude swooned. "Looks like he came without a shirt... Chigara, does your bow take photos?"

"Eeehh!" Chigara flapped her arms and covered her eyes. "C-Chigara can't look!"

"Don't be like that!" Claude giggled, prying her hands off her face. "This is your chance to feast your eyes... ohh..." Claude's jaw slackened as she caught full blast of Kayto out of his usual uniform.

"S-seriously..." Icari muttered, snapping her shades down firmly and making a show of drinking her beer without a care in the world and staring pointedly out at the ocean.

"He's not alone," Sola said quietly.

"I can barely see," Asaga shielded her eyes against the glare of the sun. "Sola's right! There is someone with him... wow... Hey Capt'n! Where'd you pick up a babe like that?" she shouted with a wolf whistle as Kayto and his companion got within earshot.

"Uhh... Asaga..." Kryska saluted reflexively. "I think that "babe's" the Commander."

"Gurk!" Icari choked, spitting up a bit of beer and throwing aside her sunglasses, staring in shock at Ava as she and Kayto walked up towards the group.

"Wha?! No way!" Asaga rubbed her eyes in disbelief as Claude huffed unhappily.

Sure enough, the tall, long-legged brunette next to the Captain swam into focus, revealing Ava in a tastefully revealing swimsuit that showed off her curves and body without coming off as tacky as Claude's choice in swimwear.

"W-wow! Who would've guessed the Commander had a body like that..." whistled Asaga, half in admiration, half dismayed. "Where does she even hide those under that uniform?"

"Uuuu... deeper down the rankings Chigara goes..." muttered Chigara, flopping over listlessly into the sand.

* * *

Before he knew it, Kayto was laying on a beach chair, reclining in the the warm sun as the sound of breaking waves surrounded him, carrying away the tension and stress of _Sunrider's_ command. Sighing deeply, he let himself sink further into the chair, his only regret that he had been unable to leave the ship for shore leave sooner.

The clinking of glasses next to him shook him from his reverie. Beside him, Ava reclined on her own beach chair, her pale skin slathered with sunscreen. Face hidden behind a large pair of shades, she gave him the suggestion of a smile as she drew forth an unmarked bottle from the depths of the cooler they had brought.

Kayto watched as she poured them two shots of brilliantly green liquor. Silently, she gestured for him to take one. Raising the shot glass to his lips, the liquor's vapors hit him like a brick wall. Gagging, Kayto quickly put distance between himself and the drink, watching Ava with admiration as she pushed her head back and tossed the drink down without hesitation.

"How's the booze taste?" asked Kayto skeptically.

"The crew's been calling these Vanguard Shots. They can melt through a cruiser's armor, apparently. I... might have confiscated a bottle or two," Ava looked somewhat guilty before shrugging and pouring herself another.

"A cruiser's armor huh?" Kayto gulped. Holding his breath, he downed his own shot, struggling not to gag as the liquor burned fiercely on its way down. Eyes watering, he struggled to keep a cool face. "Wow..."

"As advertised?" asked Ava with amusement.

"Are you sure you didn't confiscate some of _Sunrider's_ reactor coolant?" coughed Kayto. "But... being on the beach makes it almost taste good. Almost."

Ava sighed deeply, looking out at the sparkling ocean with conflict in her eyes. "We shouldn't be here, we should be fighting in the war."

Rolling his eyes, Kayto wondered just how much of their short vacation Ava would sabotage with her all-work attitude. "Ava, come on. A well-rested crew is going to do a lot more for the war effort than if we patrolled Alliance space for an extra few days."

"Hmph," Ava leaned back, accepting his reasoning with half a smile. "You've grown since the old days," she said ruefully. "Become a leader."

"Learned from the best," answered Kayto smoothly.

"No," Ava spoke as much to herself as to Kayto. "I'm afraid I was never cut out to be Captain... I haven't changed as much as you have." Inexplicably, she raised an arm and touched her back, lost in thought.

"You remember those days," Ava continued as Kayto frowned slightly, watching her. "All the members of the student council left me, one at a time. We started with nearly a dozen members, but week after week, people just stopped coming. People with ideas and excitement when we first started. I never had much capacity to inspire others, I'm afraid."

"I stayed," remarked Kayto, thinking back to high school again.

"Yes..." Ava poured another shot and downed it. "You did..."

Neither said much, listening to the cries of gulls above, but Ava studiously avoided Kayto's gaze as she turned a little pink, not entirely from the drink.

"Who's the girl you used to have a crush on back in those days?" asked Ava, looking out at the horizon.

"Eh?" Kayto was thrown by the sudden question.

"My third year, your second. She was all you could talk about."

"I, uh, have no idea who you could be referring to," muttered Kayto, the beach suddenly becoming too warm for comfort.

"Alice? Hana? Golden hair?" asked Ava, pressing mercilessly.

"O-oh." Kayto gulped. "Hana. Right."

Ava turned towards him lazily, a smirk on her face. "Did you two ever shack up after I left?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Kayto swiped the bottle of Vanguard Shots from Ava and poured himself a second shot.

Ava laughed happily, suddenly in much higher spirits. "The girl who broke the mighty Captain Shield's heart." Looking at him sideways with interest, mischief in her eyes, Ava continued to tease him. "The man who dropped a PACT Veniczar and held his ground outnumbered six-to-one, flustered over an adolescent romance. I'm almost ashamed to look at you."

"Well that hasn't changed then," Kayto shot back, liquid courage burning a hole through his stomach. "But it wasn't Hana who broke my heart."

Ava flushed a little more, but refused to rise to his bait. "You always had a weakness for cute things," she said, deflecting him. "And I don't mean the puppies you set as your holo background." Nodding meaningfully towards the others on the beach, Ava stood suddenly. "Go work your charms and chat with the rest of the girls, Captain. I need to use the restroom."

Without another word, Ava walked off, hair blowing in the sea breeze as Kayto looked at her back with what he sincerely prayed was not a hopelessly longing expression.

Barely ten seconds elapsed before a practically nude woman dropped into Ava's vacated seat, clearly having been awaiting her chance to solicit his attention.

"Oh Captain~!" Claude's cheery face blocked his line of sight. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Nothing." Kayto did his best to look away from Claude's bare figure. If her medical outfit had been salacious, her swimwear was on another level. Truly leaving nothing to the imagination, Claude's outfit practically screamed sex. Several local beach bullies glared at Kayto with hostility as they walked past, eyeing Claude jealously as she blew them a kiss.

Turning towards Kayto, Claude made no attempts to hide the fact she was visually molesting him. "Why the long face, Captain? Sure, Ava's got a nice pair... but who needs them when you've got these?"

"Gurk..." Kayto looked away as Claude practically shoved her breasts at him under the extremely thin pretense of stretching.

"Anyways, this is perfect timing, I need your help," Claude said, rummaging in one of the bags on the sand. "You see, everything's perfect on this beach except... I don't have a tall, handsome man to lather sunscreen all over my smooth, luscious skin..." Drawing forward a tube of sunscreen, Claude drew a heart out of lotion between her two breasts.

"Seriously?" Kayto rolled his eyes. "That's not even remotely original, Claude."

Claude stuck her tongue out teasingly as she squeezed again, trying to fill the heart in. Nothing came out of the tube.

"Eh?" Claude shook the tube and squeezed again, making farting sounds with the tube and completely ruining the effect she was going for. "N-no way..." Crestfallen, Claude eyed the other girls on the beach angrily.

"Sorry," Kayto shrugged, amused. "Looks like you're out of luck this time."

"Uuuu..." Claude flopped back on the chair unhappily. "But Captain! Aren't you turned on by my bodilicious self?"

Kayto arched an eyebrow as she whined with the maturity of a five year old. "Easy on the eyes, I'd say, but I'm here to relax. Take things easy for a change."

Claude nodded knowingly. "The burden and solitude of Command? I can help with that..."

Kayto sighed. "Claude, level with me. You never told me what you want out of all of this."

"Hmm?" Claude suddenly looked playful.

"What's your stake in all of this?" asked Kayto, unable to keep a note of suspicion from his voice. "Asaga and Sola are in it for Ryuvia, Chigara's here for Asaga, Icari wants revenge, and Kryska has orders. But you're the only one here... voluntarily. So what do you want?"

"You!" Claude said happily without hesitation.

"Heh," Kayto snorted disbelievingly. "Flattery will only get you so far, Claude."

Claude leaned over on her chair, invading his personal space with her body. "Captain..." she purred, batting her eyelashes and going doe-eyed. "Is it so hard to believe a young, fawning girl could be swept away by a dashing and handsome hero and wants to play with him a bit more?" Practically rubbing against him, she ran a finger down Kayto's jawline and chin provocatively. "You can wear your uniform as tight as you want, but that only makes me want you more~" she said, dripping honey from her voice.

Kayto gave her a small smile. "You might want to stop doing that."

"What am I doing?" asked Claude innocently, her other hand now creeping along his thigh.

A dark shadow suddenly fell over the two. "And what _are_ you doing?" came Ava's deadly voice, having returned from the restroom.

Claude's face froze in horror, realization dawning slowly.

"I see the prisoner has been enjoying herself," Ava continued acidly. "Perhaps I ought to tighten the chains around her neck a little, just to remind everyone we have boundaries aboard our ship..."

"Hurk..." Claude did her best to look calm. "But Commander... we're not on a ship right now..."

"LIKE I GIVE A DAMN." Ava seemed to loom over the nymphomaniac pilot.

"That's my cue," Kayto brushed off and made to put some distance between himself and the impending slaughter.

"It takes two to fraternize, Captain," hissed Ava at his back. "I'll deal with you later."

A chill running down his spine, Kayto walked towards the other girls as Claude's divine punishment ensued.

"EEEAAAHHHH!"

* * *

"Captain," Sola's deadpan greeting was barely audible over the crashing waves as he walked over to her. Dressed in sleek one-piece bathing suit, Sola's lithe frame was far more modest than some of the others on the beach, but Kayto found the sight of her kneeling by a massive sandcastle breathtaking. Her flawless skin practically glowed in the full sunlight and her silky white hair reflected the blues and violets of the sky almost imperceptibly. Beside her, a massive and impressive sand castle rose out of the ground, painstakingly sculpted by her dainty hands.

"Wow," Kayto admired Sola's creation. "I never knew you had such talent, Sola."

"You give me too much credit," Sola cast her amber eyes down, deftly cutting a tiny window into her sandcastle with a short stick. "My hands are simply steadier than most."

"What is it?" asked Kayto, curious.

"The Imperial Palace at Far Port," Sola straightened her back and tossed her short hair backwards in the wind as Kayto sat down next to her gingerly. "The Imperial family used to take summer vacation at their palace on Far Port. During my time, Far Port was a bustling trade world. It is also where I was born."

"You weren't born on Ryuvia Prime?" asked Kayto, surprised that a Ryuvian Princess would have been born on a colony world.

"No." Sola looked into the distance. "I... rarely spent time at the Imperial Palaces. Although I remember them vividly."

"It must be a vivid memory," observed Kayto. "I don't think half those buildings exist anymore, even as ruins."

Sola looked sadly at her sand sculpture. "Perhaps... nostalgia has embellished some details," she admitted. "I remember being swept away with wonder, feeling pounding in my chest as I laid eyes on the Imperial Palaces for the first time in my life. It is a feeling that I will remember for the rest of my life..."

"You're not really a Princess of Ryuvia, are you?" asked Kayto, voicing a thought that had been lurking in his mind for some time.

"Ah?" Sola looked surprised.

"When we first met," Kayto reminded her gently. "The Talbur glowed for Asaga, not for you."

"..." Sola said nothing for several long seconds. "It is as you say."

"So who are you, really?" asked Kayto with curiosity.

"Ahahaha," Sola gave an exquisitely delicate laugh, surprising Kayto as she rewarded him with the shadow of a smile. "You ask such silly questions, Captain. I am Sola."

"Uhh..." Kayto looked at Sola as though in an entirely new light. It must have been the good humors on the beach or something because he had never seen Sola with so much as a ghost of an emotion previously. The change was startling and, as a funny feeling coursed through his chest, revealed something in her he'd not seen previously.

Sola's expression faded like a cloud covering the sun, ending the moment almost as quickly as it had come. "Captain... the galaxy of mine was a different place than yours. A sad place." Sighing with the weariness of a hundred lifetimes, Sola looked utterly dejected.

"Here," Suddenly inspired to cheer her up, Kayto pulled open a small box he'd evacuated from the beach chairs where Ava and Claude's battle had taken place. "Try this."

"Hm?" Sola looked at his offering blankly.

"It's a sesame ball," explained Kayto, holding the pastries closer to her. "It's a popular food on Cera, where Ava and I are from."

Sola picked one up with her slim fingers, turning it as she examined its seed encrusted, golden exterior. "A sesame ball..."

"It's crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside," advertised Kayto. "And its center is filled with sweet red bean paste."

"The merchants at Far Port brought exotic foods from across the galaxy to market, yet I have never had one of these... sesame balls... Perhaps, I could try..." Sola bit into the pastry tentatively, her small mouth struggling to reach the sweet paste inside.

"Do you like it?" asked Kayto eagerly, biting into his own with gusto and enjoying the burst of flavor.

"Mmm..." Sola took another bite, more aggressively this time, delight flickering in her eyes as she savored the snack.

"You should join us at the mess hall more often," suggested Kayto. "If you like sweets, the dispensary can make all sorts of deserts; more sesame balls, apple tart... You might like it. Don't eat by yourself in the corner anymore, OK?"

Sola turned pink, but looked agreeable.

"You're part of the team now, Sola. It doesn't matter who you are or what timeline you're from."

Sola turned away from Kayto, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair, a single amber eye looking back at him over her shoulder. "You are... kind. I must return to my castle."

Smiling, Kayto set the box of remaining sesame balls beside her, indicating that she should take them before rising and leaving her to her peace.

* * *

"Capt'n!" Asaga waved Kayto over excitedly, practically jumping up and down in her striped bikini set. Sighing happily, she twirled on the spot, her red twin tails flying in the wind. "It's amazing here! I never even knew stuff like this existed. Man, I shoulda' left Ryuvia ages ago! Being cooped up in Star Palace couldn't compare in a hundred years; nothing but dry lessons and old geezers!"

Kayto smiled at Asaga's carefree attitude. "Is that how you learned to pilot a Ryder?" he asked.

"Nah!" Asaga practically fell over laughing. "They'd never do something that cool on Ryuvia! I learned in a simulator in Chigara's lab, but you could say I've always had a natural knack for it."

"I'll say," agreed Kayto, still unsure how Asaga had managed to pull off some of the impossible feats she'd achieved in the Black Jack.

"Ya' know..." Asaga put her hands on her hips confidently. "Back in ancient times, all Ryuvian girls learned to pilot Ryders. The greatest pilot in the Empire was called the 'Sharr,' kinda' a mix between 'princess' and 'destiny.' In other words, we had a female warrior society!"

"I read that too," nodded Kayto. "I guess that explains why many former Ryuvian territories still have mostly female pilots."

"Well that explains a thing or two about our ship at least," winked Asaga. "But we've got someone who can tell us for sure! Oy! Sola!"

Sola stood and brushed sand off her legs before coming over.

"Tell the Capt'n and me about the Sharr!" asked Asaga excitedly.

"The Sharr?" Sola cocked her head to the side before deigning to answer. "The Sharr was not merely a person or a title, but an ideal. The Sharr is a girl whose mind is soft, yet steadfast. Gentle and kind to all beings, yet resolute in her ideals. Merciful and humble, yet never fearful. Meek and obedient to the Emperor, yet standing at the spearhead of the Imperial fleet, the unquestionable commander of Ryuvia's swords. The Sharr is powerful and deadly in battle, yet peace loving. Infallible, but prepared to die for the Holy Empire at any time. Perhaps the Emperor may have been feared, but throughout the Holy Empire, the Sharr was always the love of the people."

"Wow..." Kayto whistled. "That's quite a standard to live up to."

"That's what Ryuvian Princesses are like!" declared Asaga, pointing at Kayto triumphantly. "Right, Sola?"

"Not all princesses are Sharrs, and not all Sharrs are of noble birth," shrugged Sola.

"Mmm," Asaga grinned. "Tell us more!" she urged.

"In my time, princes sought to wed only the most graceful and deadly Sharr. It was every girl's dream to master the art and take the hand of the most well-bred prince," Sola's flat voice made the romantic notion something less dramatic than what Asaga had been hoping for. "Naturally, their consummation would continue the royal bloodlines and further enhancement of the Sharr's skills would be augmented through genetic engineering and nanotechnology. I've already mentioned it to Chigara, but it is likely that some of the Sharrs modifications persist to this day within the Royal Family."

"Well... that might explain Asaga's piloting skills," remarked Kayto, impressed with Sola's story of the Sharr.

"Well... that's enough learnin'!" declared Asaga. "We're on vacation!"

Kayto rolled his eyes; Asaga's attention span would have given most squirrels a run for their money.

"So Capt'n!" Asaga leaned in conspiratorially. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Hurk," Kayto choked. How the devil did that train of thought even make sense? "No, I don't," he answered, recovering.

"Ufufufu," Asaga looked inexplicably smug. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Kayto said, somewhat annoyed.

"I see, I see," Asaga nodded like she'd stumbled upon something profound. "I wonder why not...?"

"War has hardened his heart..." Sola said quietly, looking Kayto over head to toe.

"Ya' know..." Asaga thumped him on the back. "Having a girlfriend would help you to relax a bit. Ya' gotta' have love in war, Capt'n! Hohoho!"

"Men seek affection in times of peril," Sola said, nodding. "Comfort in companionship.

Kayto extracted himself from Asaga awkwardly, unsure what to make of the situation. "I can't say I've had much time to think about my personal life between keeping all of you safe. I have a responsibility to all of you and that's much more important than anything as selfish as that," he said, falling back on the company line to buy time.

Asaga looked at him appraisingly before tossing her head back. "Just the answer I was expecting, Capt'n! You never disappoint! Uwahahaha!"

Still chortling, Asaga threw an arm around Sola. "C'mon Sola, let's go have some fun."

Giving him a backwards glance, Sola held his gaze for a moment longer before allowing Asaga to drag her off.

* * *

The artificial sun had started to set, casting brilliant orange hues across the sky, reflected in a thousand gem-like ripples of the ocean in front of them. Kayto made his way back to the collection of beach chairs and umbrellas the group had made their own, confident that Ava's fury would have mellowed out over his absence.

"Hey!" Kayto waved as he got closer. "Chigara!"

"Ah, Captain," Chigara gave him a big smile as she continued to putter around.

"Setting up the grill?" asked Kayto, eyeing the charcoal grill keenly.

"Mhm," Chigara nodded, pushing back a strand of hair and smearing a dark smudge of charcoal dust across her face. "Working with hands was always my thing."

"I can't wait; I haven't used one of these in ages," said Kayto enthusiastically, almost salivating at the thought of real barbecue. "Nothing ever tastes as good as the real thing, eh?"

Chigara leaned in to share a secret. "Actually, I might be getting close."

"Oh?"

"Because the _Sunrider_ doesn't have the capacities for a bakery, I've been experimenting with directly replicating pastries with a spare matter replicator. It's still experimental, but I managed to create a gelatinous cube that tasted unmistakably of pan du chocolat!" Chigara's eyes were bright with excitement.

"Congratulations?" said Kayto, unsure what the implications were.

"It's a huge breakthrough in food replication technology!" Chigara practically skipped with happiness. "No one's managed to replicate palatable food in hundreds of years! But if I can perfect it, I'd be able to start a galactic bakery chain anywhere! I'd even be able to deliver fresh pastries straight into homes if the replicators were mass produced!"

"Still holding onto your dreams, huh?" asked Kayto, smiling at Chigara's earnest expression. "Good for you."

"Yes, Captain!" Chigara looked into the distance happily. "I've always wanted to open a bakery, even if I could do other things... I guess I prefer a quiet life over galactic heroics. I've always imagined opening a bakery in a quiet neighborhood. All the kids would run to it during lunchtime for sandwiches and pastries. In the afternoon, people would come for bread and pastries for their families. I'd be so happy knowing that my bakery was feeding all those families and putting smiles on their faces. We'd live above the bakery on the second floor. Eventually, we'd have lots of little children running around to help our business..."

Chigara smiled serenely at the ocean, lost in her narrative. "Eh... heh..." Nervously, Chigara looked at Kayto, a bright red flush rising through her neck to her face. "Please ignore the last part, Captain."

"Really?" Kayto said half-teasingly.

"PLEASE!" Chigara balled her tiny fists and hopped up and down.

"But it was such a nice story."

"Nooo!" Chigara waved her arms furiously, causing the charcoal embers to roar with the sudden fanning. "I was just carried away with my fantasy... I mean, not that I fantasize about things like that..."

Kayto burst out laughing, unable to hold back any longer.

"Mooouuu..." Chigara covered her face in shame. "I-I'll just... go back to work."

* * *

After a little while, the coals had gotten hot enough to begin grilling. Kayto and Ava worked together to cook, Kayto arranging meat on the grill while Ava skewered vegetables.

"You know," Kayto spoke over the sizzling of meat. "I can almost imagine we're back on Cera. I remember when Maray was young and the whole family would go to the beach together. I wish we'd gone to the beach one more time before I left, I don't know why I didn't think of it."

Ava must have picked up on the melancholy in his voice. "Captain, try not to get overly sentimental. I do not wish to have to blame the onions if you are seen by the crew crying."

Kayto looked at Ava with one eye. She seemed almost... happy. Although Kayto was not one to rub victory in someone else's face, this was an exception. "So what changed your mind?" he asked. "It's not every day I see you more than an arms length away from your holo. Never mind dressed like that."

"I fulfill your orders to the letter," Ava grimaced at him.

"Oh come on," Kayto prodded her. "Admit it, you're enjoying this."

"Well... perhaps a break every now and then isn't so bad," agreed Ava grudgingly. "I don't remember ever going to the beach with my family. I'm afraid such frivolities were lost on us, even when my father was home from deployments."

"Not even once?" Kayto asked, surprised, not because he doubted Ava's family was as hard as she was, but because his memory told a different story.

"I do not recall."

"We went once, when you were sixteen!" Kayto said disbelievingly.

"Oh please," Ava crossed her arms and glared at him. "Like I had time for that when I was sixteen!"

"Well..." Kayto rubbed his chin, thinking back to the day. "I remember you brought your holo and a whole stack of paperwork that you tried to do on the beach. Not that you were very successful."

"You're making this up," decided Ava, waving a wooden skewer at him dangerously.

"No, no!" Kayto held his ground. "I remember it distinctly; after all, I was the one who organized it. We went to the beach as a student council team building trip. There was this one girl who kept yapping and texting with her holo at the same time about different things, never figured out how she did it. And there was that other girl who wore the same ribbon each day, red. I don't even want to know how often she took it off to wash, but I sat behind her in class for nearly a month. I don't remember anything about the class except that I had to stare at that damn red ribbon every day."

"Ah." Realization flashed in Ava's eyes. "Kazumi." Ava's lips quirked up. "Another one of your crushes. You must have enjoyed staring at that ribbon instead of having to pay attention to galactic history."

"Heh..." Kayto flipped the meat. "Remember how she used to twirl her hair with her finger if she got nervous? I thought it was cute at the time... Really takes me back though."

"Only you would remember a detail like that, Captain," Ava put a hand to her face before groaning and staggering into Kayto.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kayto asked nervously.

"The onions..." Ava's eyes swam with tears. "I shouldn't have put my hand up to my face..."

"How tough could they be?" asked Kayto incredulously.

Without hesitating, Ava pressed her hand to Kayto's face, sharing the pain.

"Oh... Damn!" Kayto reeled as Ava half-giggled, half-groaned. "Now I'm getting flashbacks of being shot with nerve gas during training..."

"Permission to be excused?" asked Ava.

"Granted." Kayto rubbed his stinging eyes. "What a harsh mistress..." he muttered to himself as Ava walked off towards the restrooms to wash her face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Asaga stood by the water's edge, savoring the way the wind ruffled its fingers through her hair. Salty droplets sprayed in the air as the sea breeze carried the ocean's fine mist just far enough to be smelled.

"So they can simulate even that, huh?" Asaga sighed deeply, looking around at the beach in utter contentment. Catching a glimpse of Kayto, Asaga felt her knees weaken slightly. The way the sunlight reflected gently off his shirtless body, accentuating his trim and firm figure, his white hair flapping gently with the beach breeze, and those eyes. Kayto's piercing blue gaze was enough to make her heart skip a beat as he looked up and gave her a smile from the grill.

Asaga gulped, lips weak. Since her rescue, she had hoped the feelings would fade as the events of the Star Palace faded into memory, convinced it had been nothing more than momentary enamoration. However, it was, apparently, not the case.

"Chigaraaa~!" Cluade pranced over, spraying sand over Asaga and shaking her from the train of thought as she bounded towards the glum engineer. "Guess what~~?"

Chigara looked up at Claude's bright demeanor with apprehension. "W-what?"

"This is the perfect opportunity to tell the Captain how you feel about him!" Claude's eyes lit up with manic energy.

"E-e-e-ehhh!" Chigara squealed in surprise, shaking her hands. "C-Claude! That's supposed to be a secret!" she said, mortified.

"Hurk..." Asaga's eyes bulged. She'd forgotten all about Chigara and the Captain.

"Who knows?" Claude salivated slightly. "All this hot weather might be getting to him. He might be in the mood to blow off some steam with you later..."

"I'm not blowing off anyone!" Chigara said, stamping the sand with her feet before turning beet red at the inadvertent innuendo and looking faint.

"Ooohhh~" Claude smirked appreciatively, pleased Chigara was catching on. "Then I guess it's alright if I take care of him myself then?"

"N-NO!" Chigara rallied, putting her tiny frame between Kayto and Claude.

"You'd better hurry then..." Claude teased in a sing-song voice. "Make your move before I do~!"

"Tsch," Icari sauntered over, investigating the commotion. Tossing her long black hair over her shoulder, she crossed her arms smugly. "You two are acting like two junior high schoolgirls. It's not a big deal, just tell him how you feel, Chigara," Icari said with a carefree shrug.

"A-and then?" Chigara's eyes were wild with panic. "W-what if he doesn't like me back?"

"Pfft," Icari rolled her eyes. "It's not the end of the galaxy. You move on and tell yourself you're better than that good for nothing schoolboy."

"I-I'm not sure I could do that..." Chigara said glumly, kicking at the sand with her foot.

"Argh... you're hopeless!" Icari reached the end of her patience. "Oy! Hero Girl! Help me talk some sense into your friend here!"

Asaga jumped in surprise with Icari's sudden invitation to join the conversation. "M-me? I uhh..." Asaga stammered, unusually tongue-tied.

"Yes you," snapped Icari. "Tell your friend that keeping her feelings to herself won't accomplish an iota of good!" Turning back to Chigara, Icari kept up the pressure. "Listen! You've been through hell and back! I've seen you launch your Ryder against outrageous odds with the rest of us. Compared to that, what's there to be scared of now?"

Chigara mumbled indistinctly.

"And who knows?" Icari continued her speech. "A stray quantum torpedo could end it all tomorrow. And the Captain will never know a girl named Chigara liked him. Are you going to let that happen?"

"Uuuu..." Chigara sighed unhappily.

"Come on, Hero, say something, damn it!" Icari snapped at Asaga. "Back me up!"

"Y-yeah!" Asaga did her best to give Chigara an encouraging smile. "You can do it, Chigara! I believe in ya! Uwahahaha!" Asaga finished lamely with a nervous laugh, an unpleasant squeezing sensation in her chest.

Miserably, Asaga looked inwards, unhappy with what she found. Envy, jealousy, a secret desire for Chigara to fail and clear space for herself... Asaga struggled with herself for a moment before firmly slamming the lid on those feelings and shoving them as deep as she could. No matter what, Chigara was the sister she'd never grown up with and, damn the rest of the universe, Asaga knew she had to support her in this time of need.

"Chigara!" Asaga pepped up, getting some of her confidence and bravado back. "Listen, remember all the times you've patched me and Black Jack up from jobs gone wrong? You've saved my hide more times than I can count! W-what I'm trying to say is... you're my Best Friend! You can do this, I believe in Ya!"

Chigara teetered with indecision for a moment but, slowly, a smile started working its ways into her features, Asaga's vote of confidence shoring up her intention.

"Don't forget Chigara..." Claude wagged a finger in front of the girl. "I could steal the Captain away any time... I've already seen his... equipment. It was very satisfactory..." Claude drooled slightly at the memory.

"Eeehhh?" Chigara's eyes crossed. "H-his... his..." she said faintly before falling face first into the sand.

"Oy! Good going, you bimbo!" Icari looked ready to tackle Claude. "You broke Chigara!"

"C-cant.. breathe..." Chigara gasped.

"I-I got this!" Asaga started splashing her friend with water from the ocean.

"Uuuu..." Chigara came to, spitting up sand and seaweed. "O-OK... I'll do it..."

"You're going to grab the Captain and f-"

Icari tackled Claude, sending a spray of sand everywhere.

"Oooohhhh, Icari..." Claude moaned as she rubbed herself against Icari's bare skin, causing the mercenary to leap back in horror. "If you wanted me so badly you only needed to ask... I've always thought you were a bit That way..."

"S-SHUT UP!" shrieked Icari, her cheeks looking hot enough to grill with. "C-come on, you dumb floozy... We got to come up with a diversionary plan to get the Commander away from him and give Chigara a clear line of fire!"

Grabbing a grinning Claude by the scruff, Icari marched her away.

* * *

Dinner was served and _Sunrider's_ Ryder pilots gathered eagerly around the grill's sizzling meats and vegetables.

"Here you go!" Kayto skewering a particularly good cut of meat off the grill and placed it gently on a bed of grilled vegetables on Chigara's plate. "A hearty piece for our Chief!"

Chigara opened and closed her mouth several times, nothing except a strangled gurgle coming out. "G-good bye!" she managed to choke out before fleeing from the grill.

"I wonder what that was about?" muttered Kayto, watching her stumble, ashen-faced a short distance before burying her face into her food.

"Yo! Capt'n!" Icari slapped Kayto's bare back painfully and threw an arm around his shoulder. A bottle of Vanguard Shots was clutched in the other. Swigging straight from the bottle, Icari looked at Kayto with slightly glazed eyes.

"Hey, Icari..." Kayto eyed Ava nervously as Icari's bare body sidled up to him. Ava aside, the mercenary's unusually warm demeanor also threw him for a loop.

"Heh," Icari hiccuped slightly. "You know what? You ain't so bad after all. I had my doubts when I first came aboard, but you really do have a pair don't you? You got us through that FUBAR at Far Port like it was nothing! Hahahaha! I would've loved to see ol'Pigman's face before we roasted him!"

Swigging again, Icari smiled at him glowingly, her emerald eyes sparkling with interest. "I never thought you'd have the balls to order a frontal assault with eighty cruisers against a PACT fleet six times our size... I like that... a lot."

Kayto remained rooted to the spot, stunned by Icari's complete reversal in personality. As she looked up at him, her eyes took on a soft sheen and her lips parted slightly, her warm scent wafting on the breeze to his nose.

"My apologies, Captain," Kryska dragged Icari off him with an unimpressed look on her face. "It appears our mercenary is quite intoxicated."

"Shadup..." Icari took a swing at Kryska and missed by a mile. "Speeeed!" she said, slurred, ambling towards Kryska ridiculously.

Kryska sidestepped the drunken assassin with distaste and made to grab the bottle of Vanguard Shots, but Icari managed to stagger away with her prize, clutching the bottle like her child.

"Make sure she gets some protein," laughed Kayto, handing Kryska two heaping plates of food.

"Yes, Sir!" Kryska shouted, as she took the food from him and marched off. "Icari, get back here!"

Kayto sighed with amusement. "They're like a married couple, those two. I can't tell whether they like or hate each other..."

Ava rolled her eyes. "Alliance ships are gender segregated so I wouldn't be surprised if Kryska was... you know."

"Oh?" Kayto grinned at her. "Gossiping about the crew? Dear me, how the mighty have fallen!"

Ava stuck her tongue out at him, slapping at his chest.

"Ow, ow... such a harsh mistress..." Kayto mock recoiled as Ava continued to hit him, half seriously.

"All right, all right," Ava grumbled, composing herself. "That's enough of that. We're missing some one."

Kayto did a quick headcount. "I figured as much." Loading a plate with food, he turned towards Ava and gave her a mock salute. "You have the grill, First Officer!"

"Aye, Captain."

* * *

Kayto walked along the shore until he reached a likely cluster of rocks near the edge of the beach where the simulated sky had started to show the first of the night's stars. Stepping around one of the large, monolithic stones, he found himself in a tiny pocket of sand ensconced by the rocks and protected from the bustle of the beach. Sola sat alone, her slender legs drawn up to her chest as she reclined against stone, staring up at the night sky with her empty amber eyes, a profoundly sad expression on her face. If she had looked beautiful before, the soft glow of starlight illuminated her pale skin with unearthly radiance.

"I thought I'd find you here," said Kayto, announcing his presence, trying not to stare at her bare thighs.

Sola turned to look at him without surprise, although her free hand pushed an empty tin of sesame balls behind her and out of sight. "...The stars give me peace... I much prefer the sound of waves to the clamor of large gatherings."

"You must be hungry," Kayto offered her the plate of food as he took a seat beside her.

"Mmm..." Sola accepted and chewed on the food gratefully.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Sola's chewing lost to the sound of waves. A sudden shooting star crossed the sky in front of the two, burning a brilliant path across the simulated stars.

"Ah," Sola gave a small smile at the sight. "Even if it's just a simulation... it still reminds me of the night sky of my home on Far Port..."

"Home huh? Tell me about home," asked Kayto, leaning back on the rock with Sola.

"It is as you said earlier," Sola's small feet dug into the moist sand as she launched into her memories. "I was not always a princess. For most of my life, I was merely a lowly peasant, hardly worth more than the livestock my family raised. Home was a small wooden cottage, too hot during the summers, too cold during the winters. We survived on what grew in our gardens and what game I could hunt in the forests. My mother was a commoner whom my father took a fancy to when he was a young prince on one of the Royal Family's vacations. She was... taken by dreams of living in a palace, being cared for. But none of her dreams came to pass. We were abandoned, forgotten."

"Sola... I'm sorry," Kayto said with heartfelt emotion. Even though she betrayed no anger or frustration, the complete void of emotion that she spoke with suggested a sadness of such profound origin that she'd cut herself off from all other feeling. "That must have been devastating for your mother..."

"She wasted away, waiting for him to return," said Sola. "It was... foolish."

"For her, he must have meant the world," Kayto sighed sadly. "If love were not foolish... well it would not be love at all."

Sola fell silent, mulling on the idea before changing topics. "Do you recall how I told you of the death of the Emperor and his heir in my time?"

"Of course, you said there was an assassination," answered Kayto. "One that started a war of succession between your father, the second prince, and his step-brother, Crow Harbour."

"Correct on all counts," nodded Sola gravely. "But I never told you who was responsible for the assassination... I have long suspected it was my father, the second prince, who slew his own father and brother for the throne. The Ryuvian Court in my time was a snake pit. Betrayal, assassination, machinations, shifting alliances... such was the culture of the Star Palace."

"Sounds like your father's plan didn't go exactly the way he imagined," remarked Kayto, only modestly surprised by Sola's revelation. The entire plot could have been taken straight out of one of those historical holos his parents enjoyed so much.

"Indeed." Sola set her sights firmly on the horizon. "The civil war had been raging for years, our Empire was on the verge of collapse. It was clear drastic measures would need to be taken. The Sharr'Lac had to be awakened. Yet, the princess of Ryuvia was a stranger to hardship, unwilling to sacrifice her life for the sake of our Empire. She was no Sharr."

"Sola..." Kayto had a prickling feeling as he guessed where her story was going.

"She used every connection and lead she had to find me," Sola's voice remained as blunt as ever. "The Emperor's men seized me from my own home three years after my mother's passing. I was a complete stranger to palace intrigue, politics, and royal succession, yet I found myself thrown into the midst of his dangerous game. They dragged me from my life... impressed me into service against my will... Some nights... I still feel the chill of irons on my wrists and neck."

Kayto looked at Sola with pity, the sliver of the sadness and harshness of her life that shone through the closed shudders of her eyes almost too much for him to bear. By comparison, the entirety of his own life seemed soft, almost decadent. "So your father abandoned you, then kidnapped you when he needed you to save his own rotten hide?" asked Kayto, rising ire in his voice.

Sola said nothing for the longest time before sighing. "For a while... I was angry. Like you." Sola turned to look at him. "But, I realized the task before me was too great to abandon. The future of the Empire rested in my hands and I chose to wield the Sharr'Lac willingly to defend my homeland." Sola's fine cheekbones blushed with the barest hint of color and moisture pooled in the corners of her eyes as she relived the emotions.

"You must have been terrified..." Kayto scooted closer to her gingerly. "That was a brave, selfless thing to do."

Sola watched him settle in next to her so that they were almost touching skin-to-skin, but did not withdraw. "It was strange. For the first time in my life I was... happy. Even though I knew what awaited me at the end of my mission, the people called me the Princess of Ryuvia. I remember, after each victory, marching through the Arch of Destiny on Ryuvia Prime. The people on their knees, weeping, hailing me as their Sharr... I, a simple country girl, would die as a hero of the Ryuvian people... it filled me with such unspeakable pride and love. It was a great comfort to me when I gave my life to the Sharr'Lac."

Kayto put an arm around Sola's thin shoulders protectively, pulling her close.

"Ah..." Sola blushed harder but did not fight, letting her head rest gently upon his shoulder, her soft, white hair silky against his skin.

"Powerful and deadly in battle, yet peace loving. Infallible, but prepared to die for the Holy Empire at any time," quoted Kayto, remembering Sola's description of the Sharr. "You really were the Sharr of your people, Sola."

"Captain..." Sola cast her eyes downwards demurely. "You say such things..."

"You'll never have to sacrifice your life again, I promise. Not while I'm Captain." Kayto said firmly, holding Sola close.

"A-ah..." Sola gave a small gasp of surprise, now properly blushing. "...N-no one has ever spoken worlds like those to me before... I'd expected to die for so long that... I'd forgotten what it meant to live..."

Sola trembled suddenly, clutching a hand to her breast and pressing against Kayto's side as she dug deeper into the embrace. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sola had an intense expression on her face. "I-"

"Oy!" Asaga's voice rang out, intruding into their pocket of quiet. "There they are! Capt'n! Come out, we've got more food!"

Several pairs of footsteps came as the rest of the pilots and Ava showed up, having apparently set out to search for Kayto with his disappearance.

"A-ah!" Sola jerked as though jolted with electricity.

"Well then," Kayto pulled himself to his feet and offered his hand Sola who looked up at him with round eyes. "Shall we?"

"Mmm." Sola nodded and recomposed herself, taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet. "Captain." Sola's cool hand held his own for a moment longer before she let go. "I know not why I was brought to this timeline or what purpose I will find here. Yet, I now know it was not travesty, but fortune. I know not if I will ever put the sorrows of my past behind me, but... you have my appreciation. Not as a princess, but as a common girl."

As the two emerged from between the rocks to rejoin the others, Claude suddenly closed her eyes, practically resonating with a power only she could commune with. "I sense... a disturbance... another formidable rival has emerged..."

"Eh? Eh?" Chigara peeked around the rocks with confusion. "W-what did I miss?!"

"Seriously!" Icari grumbled, having miraculously sobered up already. "W-what does everyone see in him anyways?!"

"Absolutely... unbelievable..." Ava covered her face in shame. "Captain, can you go anywhere without charming some hapless female?"

* * *

Bellies full and shivering slightly against the cold night air that blew ashore, Kayto and the others piled gratefully into the wooden cabin they'd rented for the evening. A crackling fire was already blazing merrily in the fireplace, giving the entire cabin a comfortable, rustic feel.

"Ooohhh," Claude's eyes lit up as she surveyed the cozy room. "You sure know how to impress a woman, Captain!"

"Ahem," Ava marched in front of the group and planted her feet solidly, giving Claude a meaningful look. "I want to reiterate that I expect all crew to be on their best behavior for this overnight st-"

The rest of her speech was cut off as the Ryder pilots practically trampled her as they charged into the cabin properly.

"Yaaaahoooo!" Claude hopped up on the coffee table and began gyrating. "Who's up for strip poker!?"

"We can stay up all night!" shouted Asaga, dragging Chigara along as she raced around to check out the cabin's furnishings. "Oh... a stereo system. We can play loud music!"

"Winner gets to sleep in the Captain's room!" declared Claude as rhythmic bass beats started pounding out of the cabin's entertainment system.

Kayto made himself a mental note to lock his room's door for the evening.

"Tsch. L-like anyone would even want to win that!" objected Icari.

"Ouch, ouch..." Kayto winced.

"Let's play for something real!" Icari gave a wicked grin. "Loser has to run around the cabin six times, naked!"

"H-how disgraceful!" Kryska shuddered.

"Whasamatter Soldier Boy?" Icari's grin widened. "Afraid to show us what's hanging between your legs?"

"Y-you!" Kryska turned red and shrieked with indignity. "P-permission to engage?!"

"C-Captain!" Ava picked herself up off the floor, pale and sweaty looking. "S-say something! Before we lose complete control over the crew!"

"Have fun?" Kayto gave her a thumbs up before yawning and retiring to his room.

The door's lock clicked loudly as he locked himself into his room, leaving Ava well and truly alone.

"NOOOO!" Ava cried out in horror. Back against the wall, she cringed as Icari and Claude closed in for the kill. "Captain! Don't leave me alone with these people!"

"Don't worry Commander," Icari pried Ava off the wall as she and Claude frogmarched her to the couches near the fire. "We'll take real good care of you. Here, have some wine, it'll sooth your nerves and you can join the game."

"H-highly i-inappropriate!" Ava struggled futilely against her captors as Asaga pulled out a deck of playing cards. "Section 39-A line 98 of Cera Space Force Regulations strictly forbids all games of chance on board-"

"Hold her still, Claude," Icari advanced menacingly towards Ava with a glass of wine.

"Ava Crescentia! Commander, Cera Space Force. Service Number AC48271!" screamed Ava, eyes bulging, losing her mind completely.

"Hahaha! Take this!" Icari swirled the wineglass under Ava's nose, allowing the aroma of the wine to reach her.

"O-oh..." Ava's struggles became less pronounced. "T-that's quite impressive..."

"A little something I've been saving in the Phoenix's hidden compartment," Icari smirked at Ava's predicament. "The merchant I got it from claimed it's wine from the lost cellars of the Fourth Ryuvian Dynasty. Honestly, it's almost good enough to believe."

"W-well..." Ava took the glass as Claude released her. "I suppose it's best for me to remain here then... to ensure we all remain within Ceran Regulations, of course..." Sipping the wine happily, Ava settled into the couch, blind to the dealing of cards in front of her.

"Exactly my thoughts Commander," Icari gave Claude a high five. "AHAHAHA!"

* * *

Several hours later, the logs in the fireplace had burned down significantly and Icari, Asaga, Kryska and Claude all sat around the table of cards in various states of half-dress as they eyed each other suspiciously.

Ava poured herself another glass of wine, several open bottles already littering the common room, angrily sloshing some over the side of her glass. Pink in the cheeks, the Commander had spent the entire last hour berating a string of girls, who appeared to range from crushes to mere acquaintances of Kayto's during their schooldays, citing innumerable personality flaws and incompatibilities.

"And then!" Ava continued angrily, brandishing a glass of wine at her half-attentive audience. "During his first year of high school, he was head over heels with this goo-eyed girl! What was her face? Flora! She was nothing but an empty head, full of hot air! But I suppose that was his type! Just a month before that he had been fawning over Hana! That was a bimbo if I ever knew one, let me tell you..."

"Wow, the Commander's really smashed isn't she?" whispered Asaga from behind her cards.

"Shut up, this is dirt is gold!" hissed Icari.

"S-such impropriety!" Ava stood up on wobbly legs and clenched a fist. "It was then that I, Ava Crescentia, swore to beat some sense into that man!"

"Uwaahhhh!" Asaga's eyes glittered. "So you were a couple!"

"But not even that was enough, oh no!" Ava monologued loudly over Asaga. "After that, even with my guidance he fell for another one of those lambs he fancied! What was her name... the library girl!"

"Commander..." Kryska helped Ava back into her seat before she fell over. "P-perhaps you've had a little too much to drink..."

"Eehh?" Ava jerked her wine glass away from Kryska. "I-I'm fine! I don't feel a thing!"

"Hufufu..." Icari snickered as she hid behind her hand of cards. "Looks like Operation Fine Wine is working exactly as planned. This is your chance, Chigara!"

"I-I'm not sure..." Chigara said bashfully, "M-maybe I'll just go to sleep..."

Claude snuck up from behind, raising a glass of wine to Chigara's tiny lips. Tilting the glass up, Claude smiled as Chigara's eyes widened and she began gulping it down. "Now or never, Chigara~!"

"C-Chigara will do her best!" Chigara declared, hopping up, invigorated by the wine.

* * *

"A-ah," Chigara announced her presence with a nervous cough. "Captain... there you are."

Kayto stood alone on the wooden deck of the cabin, looking out over the deserted beach and at the bright, full moon in front of him. As he turned to look at her with his pale blue eyes, Chigara felt her breath quicken, the soft moonlight accentuating his handsome features.

"The girls getting too rowdy for you inside, Chigara?" asked Kayto with a smile as Chigara walked up to the railing beside him.

"Eh-heh..." Chigara felt her cheeks warm. "Y-you could say that."

As Kayto turned to look back out at the beautiful landscape in front of them, Chigara found herself at a loss for words. Despite the fact she'd been nervously reciting what she'd say over and over again in her head, the words she looked for utterly deserted her now, leaving the two in silence as an owl hooted in the still night air.

"Well Chief," Kayto gave Chigara a hearty smile. "We couldn't have done it without you!"

"No..." Chigara shook her head unhappily. "Please don't call me that, Captain. Call me Chigara!"

"Heh," Kayto smiled. "All right... Chigara."

Meanwhile, Icari, Kryska, Claude, Asaga, and Ava spilled out of the cabin's side door, scrambling into the cover of a very large, convenient bush beside the deck. From there, between the branches, the five had a nearly unimpeded view of the deck and were close enough to hear both Chigara and Kayto.

"Eh?" Ava surfaced from her stupor as the crisp night air revived her senses. "W-where am I? W-what are we doing outside!?"

"Shh!" Claude clapped a hand over Ava's mouth. "Commander! They'll hear us!"

"I-I don't know what's happening!" Ava pointed a swaying finger of authority at the three Claudes that swam before her vision. "I order you to take me back this moment!"

"Just enjoy the show!" hissed Icari, grinning and pushing her way through the brambles to a better view.

"Uuuu..." Asaga made an involuntary unhappy sound as she spotted Chigara and Kayto standing side by side. Her heart pounded uncomfortably in her throat despite the fact that she wasn't even the one to confess her feelings. Wiping a sweaty brow, Asaga wondered if she felt worse in the bushes or if she were the one in front of Kayto. "Jeez, this is like an anime..." Asaga muttered. "Now all we need is something stupid to interrupt Chigara."

"Ufufufufu," Claude looked extremely pleased with herself as she pulled Chigara's communication bracelet out of her pocket. "I swiped it off her when she was drinking; now she won't be interrupted!"

Asaga's heart sank, feeling her chances with the Captain plummeting with each second passing.

"That's not all," Icari took a menacing black box out of her pocket. Adjusting a few dials and pushing the button, Icari's box made a small burp of noise as the cabin's lights flickered wildly before recovering. "I've just disabled all electronic communications in a one hundred meter radius!"

Claude squealed happily. "Not even Arcadius dropping out of the sky is going to stop those two from getting it on tonight!"

"G-getting it on? Who?!" demanded Ava, still confused and struggling, tangled up in leaves and branches.

"O-oh..." Chigara broke the long silence between Kayto and herself.

"I-Is something wrong?" Kayto scrutinized Chigara in the dark of the night. "You look really pale..."

Chigara's world seemed to spin as the wine hit her all at once, "I-I'm feeling dizzy!" Chigara giggled as she swooned and pitched unevenly.

"T-they're going to-!" Ava suddenly panicked as she realized what was going on. "H-highly Improper! I-I must put an end to this at once!"

Icari and Claude tackled her, shaking the entire bush with their struggle. "Shh! Commander, it's all in good fun!" grunted Icari, flattening Ava underneath her.

"Commander~" Claude pulled a hip flask out from one of her pockets. "I've got some more wine for you..."

"O-oh..." Ava snatched the flask from Claude and took a pull at it before falling still.

Asaga looked morosely at Ava's prone form, her last hope for salvation gone.

"C-captain..." Chigara swayed even more wildly as Kayto's eyes widened in surprise. "Save me..."

Happily, Chigara fell into Kayto's arms as he caught her, scooping her tiny frame up with both his arms. Without a second thought, Chigara threw her arms around his neck and looked up into his wide eyes, having never been so close. One of her hands slipped and grabbed at his collar, tearing his shirt open and revealing his chest, not altogether unintentionally.

"Hehehe..." Chigara giggled, most unlike herself, but clearly enjoying the sensation of being surrounded by his arms. Carelessly, she kicked off her shoes, leaving only her stockings on.

"C-Chigara!" Kayto steadied the two of them, holding her to his chest. "A-are you alright!?"

Several stifled gasps emanated from the bushes, unheard by either of the two.

 _Not good, not good!_ Asaga's mind raced as she watched the increasingly grim situation unfolding in front of her.

"W-wowowow!" Claude's eyes were unfocused as she watched, enraptured. "That girl's got more skill than I gave her credit for!"

"The old falling into his arms trick?" Icari crossed her arms and blew a stray strand of hair out of the way. "I could do that..."

Chigara and Kayto started laughing on the deck.

"Mmoouuu..." Chigara reached up and stroked Kayto's cheek. "Captain..."

"Yes Chigara?" Kayto's laughter receded with surprise.

"Why are you always so cold to Chigara?" Chigara's hand dropped onto her bosom as her face turned serious.

"I-I'm not sure I follow..."

"We all worry about you," Chigara looked up at him with concern in her eyes. "I worry about you... There's a shadow behind your eyes and over... here." Chigara placed her small hand over his bare chest, feeling the pounding of his heart. "But you never let us get close enough to help. You don't have to carry that burden alone, Captain... I'm here..."

Kayto looked at her silently for a moment. "I never expected my first command to be like this..." Kayto gave a world-weary sigh, letting his barrier fall and the weakness and uncertainty behind his mask show. "I'm probably the youngest Captain in the fleet. _Sunrider's_ crewed by the greenest recruits we had... and here we are, fighting for the fate of our entire world and maybe even the galaxy. All of your lives are in my hands... the lives of billions of innocents too..."

"Captain..." Chigara stroked his hand on her thigh, feeling its contours and pressing his grip closer to herself.

"But... these hands..." Kayto's face fell as darkness strolled across his features. "They're also stained with the blood of millions that I left behind to die on the day the PACT came to Cera. Nothing will ever wash that away... Ever decision, ever triumph, every failure... they ultimately rest on my shoulders and it's not fair or right for me to ask anyone else to share that burden."

"Why?" Chigara buried her head against his chest. "Why do you want to be alone?" Wiggling, she pulled free his grasp and set her feet on the ground, holding the railing of the deck for support. "You're always like this! To everyone! Smiling and laughing so that we won't see. But I... I know how you feel! That's why I want to help. Every time I think of you leading us into battle, giving us orders... it must..."

"You don't have to say anything," Kayto turned away and looked out at the moon. "I know..."

 _War has hardened his heart._

Sola's words echoed in his mind.

"...There's... really nothing for me to say, is there?" said Chigara after a full minute of silence, leaning against his upper arm as she joined him in the view.

Kayto ran his free hand through her soft, lavender hair, her sweet scent rising and comforting his frayed nerves. "You will always be my shield... So long as I have you all to fight for... I'll be fine."

"I understand." Chigara closed her eyes in comfort as Kayto's hand continued to run through her hair. After a moment, she extracted herself from him, giving him a small smile. "It's late... I should go."

"Good night, sleep tight." Kayto nodded at Chigara as she turned to leave. "Thank you... Chigara..."

"Come on, come on!" Claude was practically jumping up and down. "Kiss him and drag him to bed already! He's yours!"

"Hurk..." Asaga's world was spinning.

"Good night, Captain," said Chigara, the cabin door sliding open and shut behind her.

"Well..." Icari shrugged with disappointment. "That ends that, I suppose. Time for us to abort the mission and head to bed too..."

"Aww!" Claude practically fell over with the let down. "I was sure Chigara was going to seduce him!"

Ava picked herself up from the ground, looking bewildered and very drunk, a rosy glow to her cheeks. "Ahem... Well, if you are all satisfied... we should all head inside, clean up, and get to sleep."

Asaga closed her eyes and rubbed her brow. " _Chigara..."_ she thought. " _Now I don't even know how to feel about all this..."_

"Move it people!" Ava made shooing motions with her arms ineffectually, the effort threatening to unbalance her.

"Come on!" Kryska barked, making everyone jump. "You heard the Commander! Move it!"

Grumbling, the entire group half-shambled, half-crawled back to the main cabin to settle in for the evening.

* * *

Alone, Sola perched on top of the sloped roof of the cabin, basking in the glowing moonlight of the night. Snippets of conversation floated up to her from below, but she continued to lay motionless, staring up at the night sky. The other women could play their games with each other and the Captain, but she, Sola vi Ryuvia, needed time for herself.

Thinking back to the beach, she remembered the fluttering sensation in her chest as Kayto held her close, as if sheltering her from the universe itself. The sensation returned to her now, flitting through her body so intensely she feared she would cry out with its pressure. Breathing hard, Sola raised a hand up to the sky, watching her fingers tremble in the moonlight. Feelings she'd never had, sensations that she'd long ago left behind in her life, secure in the knowledge that no matter what, her time and fate was set in stone, came roaring back into her frigid body, as though the universe was breathing new life into the cold vessel she resided in.

"Captain..."

* * *

The next morning, one of Ava's eyes cracked open, watching the rising sun with mounting horror. That feeling of spinning disorientation and nausea, the sensation of dried sweat on her soiled uniform, the pounding in her head... she'd not felt this way since... since... ever!

"Ughh..." Ava didn't so much as get out of bed as pour off of it. Taking a deep breath, she rose to her feet and waited for the room to settle. "Hurk..."

Barging into her room's bathroom, Ava retched and let loose in the lavatory's toilet, feeling some relief as the poison left her body. Suddenly her hand found a hard packet on the floor. Grasping it and raising the packet to her eyes, she saw a note attached to it. Apparently it had been strategically placed on the floor beside her toilet.

"Sorry about last night, love you! Claude."

Ava groaned and tore the packet open, finding two pills inside. Without hesitation, she drank water directly from the sink and swallowed the two pills. Five minutes later, color rushed back into her cheeks as her world stabilized, her epic hangover blasting away into a foggy discomfort with Claude's medication.

"What happened..." muttered Ava, the entire night's memories a disjointed pile in her head. As she sifted through her scattered memories, the evening's frivolities seemed to coalesce back into a half intelligent narrative. "Uck..." Ava's eyes were wide in horror. Had she really made such a fool of herself in front of the crew? Suppressing mounting panic, Ava resolved to reassert herself before the crew returned to the _Sunrider_ , lest she become the laughing stock of the entire ship for the next few months to come.

"All hands, form up! NOW!" she bellowed as she walked towards the common room.

"ATTEEENNN-HUT!" Kryska bolted out of her room, already dressed. "The Commander wishes to speak with us!"

The rest of the Ryder pilots shambled out of bed with slightly less enthusiasm, still wearing pajamas, but fell into line all the same. Only Chigara and Sola appeared anything close to baseline mental status.

"Well..." Ava stalked up and down the line of pilots, glaring into each and every one's faces. "I believe this concludes our shore leave experience. While we have certainly made many... colorful memories and reaffirmed our bonds of camaraderie, we now return to our mission with dedication and focus! We will not stop until Veniczar Arcadius is overthrown and the PACT has offered unconditional surrender of their forces!"

The Ryder pilots gave a enthusiastic, if motley chorus of cheers.

"Get your things together! We leave for _Sunrider_ at 0800!"

Five minutes to departure, a shuttle put down in front of the team's cabin and Kayto's pilots walked aboard with their luggage and souvenirs, giving the beach one last look goodbye.

Kayto stood on the wooden deck of the cabin, savoring the final minutes of vacation as Ava walked up behind him.

"Captain!" Ava saluted. "Shall we return now?"

Kayto closed his eyes and tilted his head back, breathing in the salty air as deep as he could. "It'll be a long time before we can do this again, Ava... Part of me wishes we didn't have to go back. Just stay... bask in paradise... let the war sort itself out... Doesn't seem to be our fate in this universe."

"No Sir." Ava agreed gravely.

"Is the crew ready?"

"The crew is one hundred percent. They'll be with you every step of the way." answered Ava.

"And you?" Kayto turned to look at Ava, meeting her gaze.

Ava looked back, a moment of disquiet flickering through her eyes as she took note of the dark circles under Kayto's eyes and the firm set of his mouth. "I am, and always will be, your XO," she said, more gently than she would have otherwise.

"Good." Kayto turned and trudged towards the waiting shuttle. "Let's go then. We've got a war to win."


	20. Artifact

Sherlockinator: Maybe...

Jimmz147: Hope it meets expectation. I'm also looking forward to sharing the chapters I've written on Ongess; I think they might be some of my best. Next weekish.

* * *

Kayto sat at his office chair surrounded by a new set of holo screens that had been installed during _Sunrider's_ shore leave. Other memorabilia and souvenirs filled his shelves and decorated his walls, making the office look far less impersonal than when he had first received it. Flicking through the day's holo feeds, Kayto performed his usual cursory examination of the latest galactic news. Now that the Alliance-PACT war had started in earnest, the entire Neutral Rim had turned into a bloody battleground for the two powers.

Reports of various skirmishes, supply and aid convoy attacks, massive refugee influxes, and worsening piracy splashed across the daily headlines, vying for the attention of the Alliance public for whom war was a distant and alien experience. With their primary offensive fleet defeated at Far Port, the PACT had been forced to take the defensive for the intervening months, fighting the swelling Alliance Combined Fleet over nearly a dozen worlds on a constantly shifting front. Reading between the blandly optimistic headlines of the Alliance media, however, Kayto had little doubt the war was far from over and victory, uncertain. The PACT fleet continued to occupy the majority of the Neutral Rim and were, more or less, evenly matched with the Alliance, taking an eye for an eye in just about every skirmish and engagement they fought in.

For her part, _Sunrider_ had participated in a number of small skirmishes, as well as one larger operation. After their conquest of Versta, the PACT set up a large number of resupply and repair bases in orbit. Alliance spies had managed to gain the maintenance and fleet deployment schedules for PACT ships in that sector, allowing the _Sunrider_ and an Alliance fleet to warp in and sink four battleships that were in for repairs, their escorts, and several repair and supply stations before retreating.

"Captain," Ava entered his office with her holo. "Alliance Requisition Manifest for your approval." Swiping across the screen, she sent him a stack of digital paperwork for supplies and munitions that would have likely crushed his desk under its weight had it been physical paper.

"The Alliance loves its red tape, doesn't it?" frowned Kayto. Now that _Sunrider_ was operating as an independent mercenary ship within the Alliance Navy, they were dependent on said paperwork for Alliance manufactured munitions, rations, ship parts, and all the other supplies necessary for daily ship and combat operations. Kayto looked over the summary sheet at the head of the document. "A GameStar Seven?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"A personal request from a certain pilot," Ava bit her tongue.

"I'm surprised, Ava." Kayto gave her a big grin. Come to think of it, since their trip to the beach, Ava's frown lines and perpetually sour expression had lifted; it was as though _Sunrider_ had gotten a new XO entirely.

Ava sighed, giving him a small, embarrassed smile. "I suppose you're right... I'm getting soft. Removed." Ava deleted the GameStar Seven from the requisition form.

Kayto motioned for Ava to sit as he perused the rest of the forms. "Did you read about the Ceran Pirates in the holos?" he asked, making small talk.

"Of course," Ava crossed her arms.

Earlier that week, a major criminal ring operating out of Tydaria and the nearby sectors had been broken by Alliance forces. It seemed _Sunrider's_ actions in Tydaria in removing Cosette from power had only left a power vacuum, turning the entire area into a vacant throne for several vying gangs. After a period of infighting and bloodshed, three of the major pirate gangs fused into a powerful triumvirate, crushing the opposition and bringing a new wave of brazen piracy to the Tydaria and its neighboring sectors. With the increasing demand for starship grade alloys, the Alliance had heeded Tydaria and the Mining Union's calls for action and swept in to purge the pirates from the system.

One of the triumvirate gangs captured in the aftermath turned out to be no less than the crew of the _Atlas_ , one of Cera's heavy cruisers. According to testimony in open court, the crew had turned to piracy following the events of Cera's Fall with ample evidence to link their ship to a number of brutal and deadly pirate attacks on civilian ships in the sector. Ship logs also revealed that the _Atlas_ had never even attempted to reach the rendezvous coordinates, although her Captain argued that she believed the fallback coordinates would likely have been compromised with the defeat of Cera. Additional arguments on the crew's behalf hinged on determining which members of the crew had led and which were forced to follow.

"They're pirates, Captain," Ava gave him a hard look. "They made their choices knowing the risks. If we had been the ones to capture them, we'd have given them the airlock ourselves."

"Agreed," Kayto sighed. "As far as I'm concerned, the _Atlas_ was lost with all hands the moment they turned their guns on civilians." Even so, the thought that between the loss of their homeworld to the PACT and the razing of Cera City, more than enough Ceran blood had been spilled, enough to give him pause and wonder if the justice served was truly worth its price in blood.

"Anyways, Captain," Ava moved on from the unhappy topic. "Have you seen the latest about the upcoming presidential elections in the Solar Alliance?"

"O-oh!" Kayto tried to stifle his surprise. "Of course, it's election year in the Alliance already..."

Ava gave him an amused look, not buying his reaction for a second. "I was so busy I nearly forgot myself," she said kindly.

"Who are you and what have you done with Ava?" demanded Kayto.

Ava crossed her arms and gave him a glare far more reminiscent of her former stiffness. "Look who's running on the Univeralist ticket," she said, ignoring him, playing an election ad on her holo.

A montage of PACT ships firing on civilian vessels and stations, several Progress Party big wigs, and Arcadius's looming mask played while a serious voice narrated the images to grating music. "Division... Politics... Corruption... Deadlock... While the Veniczar has been conquering the galaxy, the Solar Alliance did nothing but play politics." A heroic image of Admiral Grey rose on the screen, blocking the fading image of Arcadius as a rippling Solar Alliance banner provided backdrop. The Solar Alliance's anthem played loudly. "Vote Admiral Grey and throw those crooks out of office! Honesty. Integrity. Courage. Only the Admiral can save us from the Veniczar! Not some politician!"

Admiral Grey turned to look at the viewer as the music built to a crescendo. "I'm Admiral Grey, and I endorse this message."

"You think he has a chance of winning?" asked Kayto, grateful when the overly patriotic holo advertisement ended.

"People are scared," Ava shrugged. "The Progress Party's appeasement of the PACT was disastrous; Far Port was a real wake up call for the Solar Alliance. It's not hard to imagine that the Universalist are going to have a very strong upper hand in this election."

"Hmm..." Kayto frowned. "It's not that I have anything against the Universalists, but if Admiral Grey is their candidate, it's bad news for us. Militarization of the Alliance is only going to mean fewer freedoms for Cera and the rest of the Neutral Rim."

"Prudent observation," nodded Ava, impressed.

Ava loved galactic politics; on some days, Kayto wondered what pushed her into a military, rather than a political career on Cera. Inwardly, he sighed; life would have probably been a lot simpler if she'd stayed after graduation to pursue politics. "I'm not liking this turn of events," said Kayto, continuing his thought. "The Admiral's good at fighting the war, I'll give him that, but removing civilian control over the military and putting an Admiral in charge is dangerous."

"People are scared," Ava pointed out. "During times of war, people seek a stronger leader. The niceties of democracy sometimes give way to the promise of security. It's no surprise the Alliance military is starting to play a larger role in policy."

"It's a slippery slope," argued Kayto. "One moment you've got an Admiral for president, the next you've got a military junta. What's the point of fighting a war against the PACT if we're just going to replace one dictator for another?"

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire."

"That just leaves the whole galaxy scorched, Ava," Kayto smiled, realizing that Ava was arguing simply for the sake of debate, enjoying the tête-à-tête.

"Well here's the bottom line," Ava stabbed a finger at his holo screen. "The Alliance is the one filling this requisition order. We're totally dependent on them for now, regardless of the election results."

"True enough," Kayto scrawled his signature across the digital files with a deep sigh. "Here, order approved. Anything else, cup of tea?"

"Not this time, Captain," Ava stood and shook her head. "There are a hundred other fires to put out before my shift starts. Unfortunately."

Kayto smiled. Ava really had softened over the shore leave. "All right, see you."

* * *

About an hour later, Kayto's bracelet beeped.

"Oh Captain~"

"Claude?" Kayto asked, surprised. "How'd you get access to a priority channel?"

"I'm the Chief Medical Officer, silly!" Claude gushed over the communication line. "Come over to the sickbay!"

With a sinking feeling, Kayto jumped out of his chair, cutting comms. If Ava even caught wind that Claude had even stepped foot in the sickbay...

Skidding to a halt outside the sickbay, Kayto braced himself for impact, memories of his last visit rising from his memory unbidden.

"Captain~" Claude's voice invited him inside.

"W-what are you wearing..." Kayto covered his eyes with his hands as he caught a glimpse of Claude's reveal outfit once more.

"Professional medical attire, Captain!" answered Claude with a dazzling smile.

"It's professional all right," muttered Kayto, thinking of an entirely different profession.

"Now, now," Claude wagged a finger in admonishment at him. "Is that any way to speak to your Chief Medical Officer?"

"Claude, seriously," Kayto steered her away from the sickbay's front doors lest Ava glimpse the scene in passing. "What are you doing here? Ava'll throw you in the brig and toss the keys out the airlock if she catches you playing doctor again."

"Ah-ah-ah~~!" Claude pulled herself free, looking extremely pleased with herself. Pulling out her holo, she showed him an official looking certificate. "Ta-da! I've been reinstated!"

"W-what!?" Kayto grabbed the holo and scrutinized the document. It was from the Alliance Medical Association, the largest and most widely recognized licensing body for medical professionals. "Claude, did you bribe someone to get this?" he asked skeptically.

"Captain!" Claude gasped dramatically, feinting outrage. "I'm shocked at the suggestion! I stayed up night after night studying for months to take the licensing exams, all because I wanted to help your ship!"

Kayto handed back the holo dumbfounded. Claude's initiative and determination to rise to the role of Chief Medical Officer was laudable, but he was certain she had done it to help herself to the ship in a rather different way.

"By the way," Claude stuck her tongue out at him and wiggled it suggestively. "It's time for your checkup..."

"No." Kayto said firmly. "And if I get any reports of inappropriate behavior, don't come looking to me for a third chance."

"Don't worry," Claude brushed his warning aside with another brilliant smile. "I'll be the perfect image of a professional. Oh! You should also know that the Alliance has fully restocked our medical supplies. I'll be able to provide state-of-the-art treatment now. We even have medichines!"

Kayto arched an eyebrow, impressed. Medichines were a recent development in the medical field. Nano-machines capable of repairing tissues and healing injuries at greatly accelerated rates, medichines were revolutionizing emergency and trauma medicine, although their expense and difficult manufacturing process limited their use to only the richest core worlds. Apparently, the Alliance military funding was sufficient to stock their starship medical bays with the advance machines.

Claude led him to a long upright tube that had been installed in one of the exam bays. "This tube contains a high density fluid with billions of broad spectrum medichines. If anyone gets hurt, we can submerge them and repair the damage quickly. The Alliance developed it as a way of getting injured Ryder pilots back into action without delay. Sometimes we can get the pilot fixed up even faster than their Ryders!"

Kayto nodded; the addition of the medichine vat put his mind at greater ease, although he sincerely hoped its operation would be unnecessary for some time to come.

"Just remember though," Claude warned. "Our medichine stock is extremely limited. We should reserve this tank for emergency treatments only; traditional medicine for everything else."

"Agreed," Kayto nodded. "All right, I suppose you've earned the position. I'll make sure Ava knows." Kayto turned to leave the medical bay.

"Come back right way if anything aches!" Claude called after him.

"Right..."

* * *

Two days later, Ava handed Kayto a report.

"Captain, we've received some interesting intelligence from Alliance Central Command."

"Hmm..." Kayto read the major points of the report with curiosity. Apparently, an entire squadron of Alliance cruisers had gone silent investigating rumors of lost technology on the far side of Far Port's moon. Any additional ships and probes to enter that region of space had also fallen silent.

As with previous galactic conflicts, the need for every tactical edge and advantage had spurred great interest in recovering Ancient Ryuvian technology once again. As the discovery of the Ryder had tipped the Imperial-Alliance war in the Solar Alliance's favor, neither the PACT nor the Alliance could afford to not investigate reports of troves of lost technology which still remained to be found and exploited.

"I've also run an analysis of the last twelve months of commercial starship activity," reported Ava, showing him her holo. "It looks like a number of civilian vessels attempting to pass the far side of the moon have also gone missing."

"What were they doing out there?" mused Kayto.

"Smugglers, probably," Ava shrugged. "No one gave it much thought since they were probably risking uncharted space to avoid Alliance patrols, but after the cruiser squadron..."

Kayto nodded. The disappearance of so many warships at a single time spoke volumes about the potential power that lay on the far side of the moon.

"We should look for survivors, of course," said Kayto. Far Port was along their patrol route and the Alliance appeared unwilling to commit any further assets to investigating the disappearance of their cruisers.

"Whatever wiped out those cruisers is probably still out there," Ava said with warning. "Advise we warp in, scan at extreme range, and warp out if there are no survivors."

"Or we could do some digging of our own." Kayto's eyes were bright with curiosity and adventure. "If there really is lost technology-"

"It'll probably mop the floors with us," grumbled Ava, knowing the look on his face all too well.

"Well, let's go get it," grinned Kayto.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

* * *

"Dropping to normal space," announced Ava. "Transition successful, main screens on now."

Far Port's moon was an unremarkable chunk of rock and ice that was perpetually locked with one side facing the planet as it rotated around. Almost nothing about it suggested anything of interest, much less danger.

"Switch to active scanners," ordered Kayto. "Scan for Alliance signatures or lifepods."

 _Sunrider_ gently entered high orbit, her course curving with the moon as she drifted away from the light and into the darkness beyond.

"Captain," Ava broke the silence after several minutes of sailing. "We're picking up scanner contacts... it's debris, Alliance made. I detect no active lifepod transponders."

Kayto sighed unhappily as _Sunrider's_ floodlight activated, illuminated a tumbling cruiser wreck, emerald green barely visible beneath a layer of soot and ash. All around them, torn hull plating and wrecked machinery filled the void of space, giving testimony to an apparently one-sided battle. Several suspicious craters on the surface of the moon also showed the final resting places of no fewer than a dozen warships and civilian craft, sunk by the same power which had wiped out the ship _Sunrider_ now passed.

"Steady as she goes," cautioned Kayto as his crew exchanged nervous glances. "We're not going to be caught by surprise like these ships. Power all weapons and put our pilots on standby."

"Already done, Captain," Ava continued to consult her scanners. "There's something else out there... boost scanners, resolve that contact!"

"Aye, Ma'am!" answered one of the bridge crew.

"Alert!" Ava's brow furrowed as she deciphered the incoming sensor data. "Captain, we've got inbound contacts; assume hostility!"

"Red Alert," ordered Kayto. "Launch our Ryders and get ready for a fight!"

"Aww..." Asaga grumbled as she and the rest of the Ryder wing launched. "I was hoping we came to Far Port for some more R&R..."

"Captain!" Chigara's voice broke through on comms. "Liberty's reading multiple contacts! Ryuvian signatures! Giving you visual now."

"More ghost ships?" Kayto asked.

"Captain," Ava's voice joined the conversation. "Perhaps we should retreat." Clearly, the memory of their last encounter with Ancient Ryuvian ships had left a lasting impression.

"Negative," Kayto's voice was determined as he consulted Chigara's visual feed. "We can handle this; those ships look barely half-functional. I'm betting they're guarding something valuable... we might be able to turn the tide of the war if we discover the right kind of lost technology."

Six Ancient Ryuvian warships emerged from the darkness, their silver and blue arrowhead hulls cutting through the velvety darkness on the far side of the moon. _Sunrider's_ active scanners flickered over their hulls, analyzing them with a battery of sensors.

"Sola, what are we looking at?" asked Kayto, hoping the Ancient Ryuvian would be able to shed light on the mysterious ships.

"Shikire-class cruisers," Sola answered without emotion. "In my time, we had fleets of thousands of them... they appear to be in poor repair, although I suspect they still pose significant threat to the _Sunrider._ "

 _Sunrider's_ sensors confirmed Sola's intuition, showing Kayto that the ships approaching _Sunrider_ were no more than quarter powered. Age had worn mercilessly on the ships, rendering their shields and armor at a fraction of what they had used to be. Additionally, _Sunrider_ detected virtually no active scanning from the Ryuvian ships, making it unlikely their flak systems were active. Instead, the ancient warships were operating mindlessly, simply moving towards and destroying any interlopers they detected with no more reason or thought than a simple beast.

"Concentrate forward batteries on the lead ships," ordered Kayto. "Seraphim, Paladin, time to put those guns to good use. Uplink with _Sunrider's_ targeting systems and coordinate with our Saviors. Liberty, Bianca, run interference as best you can. Black Jack and Phoenix, stay back and cover us."

 _Sunrider's_ Ryders sprang into action, vectoring towards the coordinates Kayto specified on his tactical screen and forming a protective ring around _Sunrider_. The CIC rocked as _Sunrider's_ Saviors let out a series of barks, hurtling kinetic slugs towards the lead Ryuvian cruisers.

"Hits confirmed," called out Ava as the two cruisers absorbed the salvos without slowing. "Seraphim, Paladin, weapons free!"

"Firing!" Paladin's shoulder cannons leveled at the nearest cruiser, firing powerfully as its engines pushed to max to keep the Ryder from flying backwards. Kryska's shots were dead on, tearing through the ancient ship's hull and punching into the dark interior. From the gaping wounds in the ship's side, it was clear that no more than a handful of conduits still carried power or plasma, the rest of the ship having succumbed to the weathers of time.

"Target acquired," Seraphim's rifle charged, a brilliant light forming at its muzzle as the ancient Ryuvian weapon prepared to let loose. A moment later, the light slug streaked towards the other Ryuvian cruiser, slamming into the tip of its hull and plowing through to its deep interior. Unseen to anyone, Sola's shot punched through dozens of layers of corroded armor before slamming straight into the ship's struggling reactor, silencing its ailing heart definitively. The results, however, were more than obvious as the ancient ship broke apart and blasted into pieces. "Target neutralized."

"Alert!" Ava cried. "Detecting multiple power spikes from hostiles!"

Dozens of ports on each remaining cruiser slid open with difficulty, revealing rack after rack of missiles. Somewhat haphazardly, the missiles launched, some of them remaining firmly stuck to their silos, their launchers having suffered some kind of mechanical failure long ago. Those missiles that did launch streaked forward, racing towards _Sunrider_ and her Ryders.

"Multiple detonations detected," reported Ava. "Looks like some of those missiles are just too old to work."

Although reassuring on some level, the premature detonations also served as a reminder of just how powerful the ancient missiles were. If even a single salvo made it through their flak net, the mission would turn deadly.

"Hacking systems now!" Claude's voice was tense and focused for once as she tapped away furiously at Bianca's controls. "Corrupting guidance systems!" Dozens of missiles peeled off from their vectors, missing their intended targets as Bianca generated hundreds of virtual contacts to confuse the missile's microcomputers. Any missiles not scrambled were intercepted by Black Jack, Phoenix, or the _Sunrider's_ flak cannons.

As _Sunrider_ continued pounding away with her Saviors with Seraphim and Paladin adding their fire to the mix, the ancient cruisers began to falter. One after another, their ancient hulls cracked and fractured, putting an end to their millennia long vigil. Kayto felt a moment of triumph as the final Ryuvian cruiser met a fiery demise, but something felt wrong. If the dilapidated cruisers were all that guarded Far Port's moon, how could an entire Alliance cruiser squadron have been trounced so definitively?

"Alert! New contacts, bearing zero-zero by five-eight!" shouted Ava as a proximity klaxon sounded.

With a sinking feeling, Kayto suspected he was about to find out first-hand what had destroyed the Alliance squad. "Get me eyes on the incoming signatures!"

 _Sunrider's_ sensors resolved three Ryders quite unlike anything Kayto had ever seen racing towards the _Sunrider_ and her Ryder wing at speeds that would have matched even those of the Phoenix. Unlike the Phoenix, however, the Ryders were extremely heavily armed and sheathed with armor. An oversized missile pod sat on its right shoulder pauldron housing several dozen missiles in neat rows. On its other shoulder, a line of laser emitters stood out proudly, barrels gleaming. A lethal looking blade, almost as long as the Ryder itself hung from one armature, the other armature ending in an equally intimidating wide-bore laser cannon. In stark contrast to the aged and struggling cruiser fleet, the three Ryders were gleaming and well-maintained, taking advantage of the _Sunrider's_ distraction with the Ryuvian cruisers to fire first.

"Warning! External armor being breached!" cried Ava as lasers from the Ryders boiled away _Sunrider's_ thick hull armor like wax in front of a flame. _Sunrider_ shook and sparks flew in the CIC as multiple missile impacts drilled into their damaged hull, slicing through decks and digging their way deep into the ship before detonating. "Multiple sections compromised! We've lost atmospheric integrity in sections eight and ten! Initiating level two damage control measures!"

"What the hell are those things!?" demanded Kayto, gritting his teeth. The enemy Ryders' firepower far outstripping anything he'd ever seen, easily matching a modern battleship in terms of damage potential. Banking, the ancient Ryders arced away from the _Sunrider,_ having finished their first pass.

"They appear to be standard automated Ryuvian Ryders." Sola's holographic avatar materialized on the bridge, commenting on the matter as one would comment on the weather on an unremarkable and tepid day.

"Standard?" Kayto's head spun. "What part of that is standard? Those Ryders are packing more firepower than a PACT battleship!"

"Their condition is excellent despite their age," observed Sola, squinting at Seraphim's sensor readings on her end. "I speculate that they are receiving automated maintenance from their base facility, likely on the far side of the moon."

"Wait a moment!" Icari's avatar also materialized on the bridge, pointing an accusing finger at Sola. "How come your Ryder doesn't do any of that!?"

Sola bowed her head demurely. "Regrettably, Seraphim is but a humble scout Ryder. Most of my systems have degraded to non-functionality during my slumber. Alas, the Sharr'Lac's automated repair systems were dormant with the rest of the ship."

Icari's jaw dropped with disbelief. "So yours isn't even a real Ryder?"

Sola said nothing but looked marginally more dejected than before.

"Oy!" Asaga's avatar materialized as well, hands on her hips. "Good going ya idiot, you've hurt her feelings!"

"Tsch!" Icari stuck her nose in the air. "W-well if she can't handle them, I'll just have to do it myself!"

Phoenix took off from the formation, streaking after the Ryuvian Ryders as they vectored in for a second pass. One of the three Ryders peeled away from their formation, adjusting its burn to come at the Phoenix. The Phoenix's twin blades sprang out from its armatures as Icari threw her Ryder into a loop to dodge her opponent's laser fire. Arcing over the Ryuvian Ryder, Icari spun the Phoenix upside down, clashing against the Ryder's long melee weapon with one of the Phoenix's shorter blades and swiping with her other arm, nicking the shoulder lasers and damaging them.

"D-damn!" Icari grunted as the Phoenix shook with the impact of crossing blades with her opponent. "It's fast!"

Both Ryders' engines and retrothrusters blazed as they danced around each other, swinging their blades in a close quarters duel of blinding speed. So fast that its sword was a blur, the Ancient Ryuvian Ryder hacked at Phoenix, lopping off one of Icari's "wing" struts as Phoenix dodged aside just a little too slowly.

Sweat poured down Icari's face as she grappled with her controls, trying to keep up with the brutal pace of combat. At their current range, the enemy Ryder's longer blade posed the greatest threat, allowing it to sweep in long, deadly arcs while forcing Phoenix and its shorter two blades to play the defensive role. The longer they stayed locked in combat like that, the more likely Phoenix was to continue losing systems until the Ryuvian Ryder delivered a killing blow. "Tsch!" Icari punched her controls forward, going for an all-or-nothing gamble.

Phoenix lunged forward, deftly jetting to the side as the Ryuvian Ryder stabbed forward with its sword, missing Icari's pilot cabin by millimeters. Harsh grating metal sounds reverberated through Icari's cabin as the sword ground past Phoenix's thin hull. "AAARRRGGHH!" Icari screamed as her sparks flew from Phoenix's systems in the cabin and her monitors burst into static, jamming her left arm controls forward and spearing the Ryuvian Ryder's shoulder, digging the blade through layers of armor and crushing the servomotors beneath. With Phoenix's other arm, she dug directly into the Ryder's sword armature, pinning the deadly blade away from the Phoenix. Warning lights and shrill alarms sounded as a flashing display of her Ryder's systems began reading intolerable stress limits on Phoenix's servomotors as the Ryuvian Ryder struggled to break free.

"ICARI!" Kryska's shouted over the comms.

Something very heavy slammed into the two joined Ryders from the Ryuvian Ryder's side.

"What the-?" Icari's eyes widened in shock.

"Unnghhh!" Kryska grunted as the Paladin crashed into the back of the Ryuvian Ryder, digging into its back with grapples and sending the odd three-Ryder amalgam spinning with uneven rotation. "Hang on, Icari!"

"A-are you crazy!?" Icari screamed over the comms as Paladin's shoulder cannons leveled downwards to point straight at the back of the Ryuvian Ryder. "Y-you'll get us all killed!"

Ignoring her, Kryska hit her firing controls. The three Ryders shook as the Ryuvian Ryder soaked up Paladin's black ore slugs at point blank range. The slugs transmitted unbelievably loud hammering sounds through both of their cabins, causing the pilots to wince from the volume.

BAM BAM BAM

Armor and shredded machinery flew in all directions as the Paladin pounded into the Ryuvian Ryder which was still struggling against its two opponents, firing thrusters wildly and discharging lasers with abandon.

"Almost... there..." Kryska struggled to keep Paladin's guns aimed as the shoulder cannons kept firing, unloading into the ancient Ryder enough firepower to sink a cruiser.

"D-damn, damn, damn..." Icari muttered as Phoenix's systems protested shrilly, her entire Ryder frame shaking almost as much as the dying Ryuvian Ryder.

Finally, the Ryuvian Ryder's struggles weakened and ceased, twitching slightly as one of Paladin's kinetic slugs hit something vital and going dead.

"Tsch!" Icari pounded her controls in frustration. "What were you doing, Soldier Boy!? Trying to get us both killed!?"

"Do you require tow assistance, Ms. Isidolde?" Kryska's tone could not have been more smug.

"Unbelievable..." Ava sighed, watching the two Ryders detach from the Ryuvian Ryder, Phoenix slapping aside Paladin's offer of a tow cable, disgruntled. "Captain, the remaining two Ryders are still on approach!"

"Black Jack, Sola, you're up!" ordered Kayto as _Sunrider's_ gunners devoted all computational power and resources to maintaining their beleaguered flak net.

"Piece of cake!" Asaga shouted, rushing headfirst at the Ryuvian Ryders. As with before, one peeled off while the other continued to rocket towards _Sunrider_ and her support Ryders. "Hiiii-yah!"

Black Jack's armor ports slide open, showering its opponent with all of its missiles. The Ryuvian Ryder did likewise, its missiles launching and intercepting Black Jack's before any could even scratch the hull. Fortunately for Asaga, however, the Black Jack's missile barrage was only meant to help her close the gap before engaging with Black Jack's melee blades. Slicing across the Ryder, Asaga's plasma blade cleaved across the Ryuvian Ryder's missile pod, chopping it off the Ryder's shoulder.

Warning lights drowned Asaga's cockpit in red flashing lights as Black Jack screamed a proximity warning. "C-crap!" Asaga's manuever had left the entire Black Jack's flank undefended against the Ryuvian Ryder. As the Ryuvian Ryder raised its armature to deliver a deadly blow to the Black Jack's exposed side, a trio of blinding shots impacted on the Ryder's weapon, smashing into its arm and blowing the weapon clean off.

"So that is how Sharrs are trained to fight in this time?" Sola asked quietly, her voice betraying a hint of disappointment. "In my time, Sharrs did not simply dive head first into the enemy screaming."

"W-WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT NOT FIRING OVER MY SHOULDER!?" shouted Asaga, nearly having a heart attack as the kinetic light slugs passed so close to Black Jack that the paint blistered. Grumbling, Asaga jammed at her controls and Black Jack went to work, taking advantage of Sola's intervention to continue hacking into the Ryder's armor.

"Their armor is thinner on their back," Sola pointed out as Asaga and the Ryuvian Ryder tumbled, laser light flying in all directions. "Please align the Ryder with Seraphim. Low probability of kinetic penetration to Black Jack."

"That's good to know," grunted Asaga through gritted teeth as she hit Black Jack's retrothrusters, sending the pair into a more favorable spin for Seraphim. "Take the shot already!" she shouted as the Ryuvian Ryder pushed back against Black Jack's thrust.

"Firing."

Seraphim let loose with a single shot which flew straight and true, smashing into the Ryder's back where a human spine would have been located, severing its main computer from the rest of its systems.

"Target neutralized."

"Final Ryder within laser range!" shouted Ava as the last Ryder grew menacingly large on _Sunrider's_ main screen, flying straight for them.

"All power to forward shields!" ordered Kayto.

The Ryder let loose with a deadly lance of laser fire from its wide bore rifle. The burning blue beam slammed into _Sunrider's_ shield, crackling with energy and distortion as it struggled to push through. Unlike most lasers, however, the Ryder's laser rifle continued to fire, showing no signs of letting up as _Sunrider's_ shield threatened to collapse under the weight of the attack.

"Hang on, Captain!" Liberty flew in, closely tailed by Bianca. Together the two Ryders' shield projectors pulsed, throwing additional layers of shielding under Sunrider's own shield just as the devastating laser strike punched through, shattering _Sunrider's_ shield into a thousand fantastic prisms of light.

"Deploying drones!" Liberty's repair drones launched simultaneously, hurtling away from _Sunrider_.

"What-?" Ava frowned, confused.

"Ready our Saviors, arm missile pods A through E, get me a targeting solution on that Ryder," barked Kayto, realizing Chigara's plan.

"But Captain, it's moving too fast for our shots to-" protested Ava.

"Just do it!"

Liberty's drones latched onto the busy Ryuvian Ryder, whatever intelligence governing it apparently having decided the little machines posed no threat to its armor. On that account, it was correct, but together, the repair drones pushed their thrusters to maximum burn, effectively dragging the Ryuvian Ryder down as though it were dragging three times its own mass.

"Weapons armed!" announced Ava, also realizing Chigara's plan. "I-it's still too fast for us to get a lock on!"

"I got this~"

"C-Claude?" asked Kayto, surprised.

Bianca leveled its unusual left armature at the Ryder as Kayto watched with interest, realizing he'd never even bothered to ask what Bianca's other arm did. The device started spinning, picking up speed as it rotated. For a moment, nothing appeared to happen as the Ryuvian Ryder continued to fire, now breaking through what was left of their shielding.

"Gravitational anomaly detected!" Ava cried out in surprise. "I-it's caught the Ryuvian Ryder! Firing solution achieved!"

"Fire everything!" barked Kayto as the Ryuvian Ryder slowed dramatically, caught by the intense gravitation eddy created by Bianca.

 _Sunrider's_ Saviors pounded away, nailing the sluggish Ryder with hit after hit as rack after rack of Hell Darts fired off as well. The Ryuvian Ryder fired its own missiles, but the gravity well was too strong, dragging them back and into whatever void Bianca had managed to create, crushing the weapons like tin foil and smothering their detonations. Engulfed in Hell Dart detonations and staggered under the weight of _Sunrider's_ Saviors, the final Ryuvian Ryder's laser finally cut out as the entire frame crumpled and tore apart, detonating as a lucky missile penetrated its fusion core.

"Phhwwaa!" Claude breathed a happy sigh of relief, giving voice to the waves of relief the rest of the pilots and crew felt with last Ryder's defeat.

"Sensors clear, Captain. No additional contacts," reported Ava, breathing heavily.

"Stand down Red Alert," Kayto collapsed into his seat, shaking his head with _Sunrider's_ close call. "Retrieve our Ryders and alert repair crews."

"Captain," Sola's voice came in over the comms as she materialized in the CIC in her stark white armor. "Those Ryders possessed no warp capabilities. They must have been housed and maintained at a nearby facility, likely on the far side of the moon."

"I'm also detecting no life signatures," reported Chigara, analyzing the data Liberty's remaining drones were transmitting as they dug through the carcass of the Ryuvian Ryder. "It appears the Ryders were completely automated and operating on pre-programmed orders. Incredible..."

"All right, thanks, come on home," said Kayto as the two pilots winked off. "Ava, alert the marines to put together a search party. Once we get the Ryders back on board, we'll slingshot around that moon and do some detailed scans. I want the marines ready to launch in a shuttle as soon as we find out where those Ryders came from."

"Aye, Captain."

* * *

It didn't take long for _Sunrider_ to identify the Ancient Ryuvian ruin, half buried in a collapsed ravine on the surface of the moon. For the better part of the next day, Kayto waited with bated breath as a squad of heavily armed marines picked their way through the ruined facility. Since he had received no alerts since their launch, he surmised the surface mission was significantly less exciting and dangerous than their initial approach to the moon.

Finally, as the arbitrary night cycle of the ship was about to start, Ava staggered into his office, grunting as she dragged a large metal case behind her. The case was one of the armored specimen containers the marines had brought to the surface with them, heavy and designed only to be lifted with the assistance of their servomotor powered exo-suits. Kayto quickly rushed over, grabbing the handle and pulling with her until the box cleared the door frame, allowing his door to close.

"Captain, the surface team has returned," she announced needlessly, flopping into a chair opposite to his desk, sweating.

"What did they find?" asked Kayto, his curiosity growing in leaps and bounds as he eyed the black armored case in front of him.

"Most of the facility was in complete disrepair. Our team was unable to find any intact technology or systems," answered Ava.

Disappointment filtered into Kayto's thoughts. "But what about those Ryders?" he asked. "Didn't Sola say they were getting regular maintenance?"

"I expect regular maintenance meant something different for the Ancient Ryuvians than what it does for us," said Ava with resignation. "From what we can tell, the automated facilities have been completely offline for at least a century."

"That's crazy..." Kayto shook his head, once again astonished and humbled by the heights of technological prowess the Ancient Ryuvians had achieved in their time. "What's in the box?"

"The only thing the marines did find," said Ava, now looking a little more cheerful.

Kayto raised the lid of the container, expecting heap upon heap of precious metal or something, judging from the weight. As blue light poured out of the box, lighting his face and office with its soft glow, however, he realized the marines had discovered something entirely more exotic. Nestled within the box's roomy interior, a single blue cube, no larger than a small kitchen appliance pulsed gently with azure light from within. The cube had a frosted glass appearance, its surface traced with ornately wrought metal as its depths glowed and seemed to swirl.

"What is it?" breathed Kayto, enraptured by the beautiful artifact in front of him.

Ava walked up next to him, looking at the cube's serene and breathtaking appearance with a little more caution, for one never underestimated the power of Anient Ryuvian artifacts. "I had Sola and Chigara take a look at it as soon as the marines brought it aboard. Apparently, it's a device that has the power to phase a user between alternate universes. Sola said devices like this in her time were called 'wishalls'."

"Come again?" asked Kayto, convinced he'd misheard her.

"Chigara gave me a small talk. I don't pretend to understand all of it, but apparently the prevailing theory is that our universe is one of an infinite number of alternate universes which encompass every possible probability, no matter how remote, all occurring and existing simultaneously on top of one another, but with no way to interact with or perceive each other. That is, unless you have one of these. This device allows a user to phase to a nearby alternative universe or timeline, effectively allowing a user to effect a single change in their personal timeline and live in an alternate universe."

"So you're saying..." frowned Kayto, trying to wrap his head around the exotic power of the device, "That there's a universe where I got up on the left side of the bed and a different one where I got up on the right side and this device would let me re-do that decision?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "Hopefully, Captain, a device of this power would be used for something a little more... significant than that. But yes, in essence, you are correct, if small minded. The potential of this device is fearsome if you think about it. It can be used to change your reality drastically. If used at the right moment, this could mean the difference between life and death."

"Hopefully it'll never come to that," muttered Kayto, surreptitiously knocking three times on his desk.

"Agreed," nodded Ava. "Sophitia has also put together a list of buyers if you're interested in selling this device instead of hanging onto it. We've received a generous offer from Lord Dome of Threala." Activating her holo, Ava showed Kayto the private offer for sale.

Kayto whistled. The sum was nearly enough to buy a small fleet of warships in cash. Whatever decision Lord Dome was interested in re-making, he was clearly willing to part with nearly his entire fortune to do so. "I don't know..." he said, feeling a prickle of discomfort. "That's a lot of money, but we're talking about messing with reality here. What if someone uses it to wish for us to disappear or something?"

"It doesn't work like that," laughed Ava, amused by his concern. "Chigara tells me this device phases the user out of our own universe. This timeline that we inhabit should, ironically, remain unaffected by any use of this device."

Kayto shut the lid of the case, which automatically hissed as it sealed hermetically and locked.

"I'll leave it in your hands to decide what to do with it," said Ava, standing and making for the door. "The case is coded to only open for your biometrics for safekeeping."


	21. Ongess

It felt strange at first to be doing paperwork while sitting virtually on top of one of the most priceless Ancient Ryuvian artifacts discovered in the last decade, but over the next few days, the novelty of the wishall seemed to fade and Kayto barely noticed the subdued black case which now sulked in the corner of his office unobtrusively.

 _Bing Bing_

Kayto's door chimed as he struggled through yet another morass of Alliance paperwork, almost looking back upon his Cera Space Force administrative duties with envy. "Come in."

"Sir!" Kryska entered his quarters and saluted stiffly.

"Lieutenant." Kayto gestured to a chair. "What can I do for you?"

"The Admiral wishes to speak with you, Sir."

"I see," Kayto gave his Liaison Officer a strange look. "I guess I'll just call him up on the FTL comm then."

"Negative, Sir!" Kryska hurried to clarify. "The Admiral wishes to speak in person this time."

"Solaris is a long way off," said Kayto with a frown, unsure if he liked the idea of being dragged so far from the front lines for a simple meeting.

"The Admiral is at Ongess, Captain," Kryska let pride enter her voice. "He is leading our campaign from the front lines."

"I should have known," Kayto smiled. He and the Admiral may have had their differences, but the man was a consummate soldier with courage and will to see his duty done as few men could. Kayto could see how a rank and file soldier like Kryska would come to admire him almost reverently.

"The Admiral would be delighted to tour the ship and to give the _Sunrider_ further instructions."

"Very good Lieutenant," Kayto nodded. "I guess I'd better clean my office then. We'll make for Ongess right away."

"Captain." Kryska rose and saluted, standing tall and staring straight ahead.

"O-oh," Kayto struggled to keep a straight face, unaccustomed to a Ryder pilot adhering to strict military protocol. "You're dismissed Lieutenant," he said, making a mental note to encourage Kryska to have a less formal attitude aboard the _Sunrider_.

As the Alliance officer left, Kayto keyed the comms for the CIC. "Ava, are you there?"

"Captain." Ava's avatar formed in his office.

"Have navigation plot us a course to Ongess. The Admiral wishes to tour the ship and speak with us in person," said Kayto, updating Ava of the change in plans.

"I'll have the crew prepare for inspection immediately," said Ava seriously, frowning at the wrinkles in Kayto's uniform pointedly. A distant groan could be heard from one of the CIC crew. "Stow it, crewman!" barked Ava.

* * *

Ongess was the class 7 planet all class 7 stereotypes derived from. With an estimated human population of 38 billion, a rocky, inhospitable and toxic surface, and no shortage of human misery and impoverishment, Ongess's reputation was as dirty as the fumes which pumped out of the thousands of Ongessite refineries that dotted the planet's surface and space habitats. Both on the surface and on its orbital stations, life on Ongess was characterized by the disease-ridden and overpopulated slums and shantytowns which extended as far as the eye could see with a lack of even basic civic infrastructure, technology, healthcare, and education that condemned its population to living more akin to animals then civilized man. A popular saying on the planet went, "If Hell had a sewage pit, it would be Ongess on a good day."

Ongess was unique in the galaxy for its vast quantities of naturally occurring Ongessite ore, for which the planet was named. Although Ongessite ore could be found in limited quantities on several other notable worlds, there was no doubt that Ongess was the crown jewel of the Ongessite industry, accounting for nearly a third of the total galactic production alone. Not valuable in of itself, raw Ongessite ore could be refined through incredibly toxic and contaminating processes into liquid Ongessite, which had applications ranging from warp engine and Ryder reactor fuel, to starship alloy processing, munitions manufacture, and even medicine. Always limited in supply and forever in demand, liquid Ongessite was a commodity with higher market value than most precious metals and jewels. For this reason, Ongess had a long and dark history of brutal occupation and exploitation by virtually every spacefaring power since the discovery and application of Ongessite itself.

In the days of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, Ongess was operated as a penal colony for the galaxy's undesirables, the entire planet's population of political dissidents, criminals, and low-lives filling the incredible demand for slave labor imposed by the Ryuvian Lords. With the dissolution of the Holy Empire, the New Empire quickly seized Ongess and continued the tradition of brutal exploitation and general neglect for human dignity established by the Ancient Ryuvians.

Although the collapse of the New Empire and the establishment of the Neutral Rim should have been a boon for the planet's population as Ongess gained its independence, the societal impact of millennia upon millennia of slavery was too profound to change overnight. Ongess quickly descended into a pit of squabbling criminal syndicates and vying corporate interests which left the general population no less enslaved or impoverished than under their old masters. With the PACT incursion on the Neutral Rim, Ongess made for an obvious target, ripe for the occupation of yet another indistinguishable galactic power seeking to hoard their Ongessite for their own purposes.

Not two weeks ago, the Alliance and the PACT fleets had clashed in the largest battle of the war thus far in the Ongess System. Nearly nine Alliance fleets faced an equal number of PACT ships in a protracted 5 day battle with both sides throwing fleet after fleet into the slaughter, unwilling to back away from the strategic system. All told, the battle had resulted in several hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides and over one thousand ships sunk in total. Although victory had been bloody, the Alliance fleets had managed to stomach their losses and the bloodshed with a straighter face, forcing the no more-or-less exhausted, battered and bloodied PACT fleets into retreat. Although Ongess was now officially under Alliance occupation, it was clear to everyone that the victory was merely round one in a larger battle for the system, the PACT likely to launch a new offensive once their forces had regrouped.

As the _Sunrider_ dropped out of warp, a proximity alarm rang out almost immediately, sensors painting a vast debris field that had practically formed an artificial ring around Ongess itself. Hundreds of gutted ships, Alliance and PACT alike, and innumerable Ryders drifted dead, slowly tumbling and crashing into one another in a grisly ballad as their orbits stabilized. Radiation levels were near maximum safe limits as breached reactors dumped their toxic contents into space and thousands of tiny robotic drones picked through the graveyard like ants, some stabilizing wrecks with decaying orbits while others started on the long process of salvage and retrieval of the dead. Beyond them, easily a thousand Alliance ships, some military, some civilian, went about their business, drenching the entire orbit of Ongess with heat and engine signatures.

"Warp complete, Captain," said Ava with a hushed tone. "We've arrived at Ongess."

"Holy Ryuvia," Kayto shook his head at the grim aftermath of the battle. "This wasn't a fight... it was a meat grinder. Makes Far Port look like a skirmish in comparison..." Sighing, Kayto gave himself a mental shake. "Alright, that's enough sightseeing, we've got a timetable. Take us in slow and keep us clear of the debris."

"Aye, Captain," Ava also stiffened her resolve. "Engines slow to one-tenth power! Make ready to dock at star gate 32-B! Communications, contact Alliance Control and request permission for approach and docking."

The CIC crew sprang into action with Ava's commands, piloting _Sunrider_ deeper into the system and towards the forbidding and dark orbital platforms in the distance.

* * *

Kayto stood in the _Sunrider's_ hanger bay with Ava and Kryska at his flanks, wearing his Cera Space Force best to receive the Admiral. Behind him, a detachment of _Sunrider's_ marines in full combat suits and several dozen naval officers, all in dress uniforms, stood at attention as an emerald shuttle slid gracefully into the hanger.

Sighing, Ava ran a micro lint remover on one of Kayto's shoulders, removing a microscopic flaw on his back. "I thought I told you to make yourself presentable!" she hissed.

Kayto would have retorted, but at that moment, the Alliance shuttle's engines powered down and its lateral hatch opened, revealing Admiral Grey and his two marine bodyguards.

"ATEEEEN-HUT!" Kryska called out, saluting crisply. In unison, the _Sunrider's_ crew followed suit.

Ava and Kayto also saluted as Kryska walked forward to meet the Admiral, standing between him and the Captain. "Admiral, allow me to introduce Captain Kayto Shields and Commander Ava Crescentia. It has been my privilege to serve under them aboard the _Sunrider_."

"Captain Shields." The Admiral was an impressive man in person, emanating an aura of authority and supreme confidence. Kayto could immediately see why election polls were swinging so strongly in favor of his candidacy for presidency during the turbulent and dangerous times. "A pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"The pleasure is ours, Admiral," said Kayto pleasantly, both men subliminally agreeing to bury the hatchet. "Welcome aboard the _Sunrider_."

"And you, to Ongess," the Admiral gave a tight smile.

"It's good to hear about the liberation of Ongess," said Kayto, emphasizing the word "liberation." Dropping his salute, Kayto gestured for the Admiral to walk with him. Kryska and Ava trailed behind them. "The Alliance's progress in the war has been impressive thus far. Please accept my condolences for the men and women your fleets lost in the battle."

"They died in defense of freedom and liberty; thank you, Captain." Admiral Grey inclined his head graciously. "The war is far from won, but, for the moment, we seem to have the upper hand, in no small part to your tactics at Far Port. Still we must not be overconfident; the situation remains... precarious and the Veniczar has withheld his greatest fleets and the _Legion_ from battle thus far, undoubtedly waiting for an opportunity to strike a decisive blow should we make the mistake of arrogance."

"We can speak more of business in my office," offered Kayto. "I was given to understand you were interested in a tour of our ship?"

"Indeed," the Admiral looked around with curiosity at the Ryders in their massive cradles. "Please do show me around; I hear _Sunrider_ is one of the finest ships in the Neutral Rim. I would be loath to miss an opportunity to tour your ship, Captain."

* * *

Fifty light years away, the _Legion_ sailed through the night, illuminated by the glow of hundreds of starship engines at a PACT fleet staging area. Dozens of ships dropped out of warp each day as the PACT mustered its forces. Although the setbacks at Far Port and Ongess had been disappointing, the mere sight of the _Legion_ was enough to restore confidence to the PACT fleets. Hardship had been their cold mistress since the days of the New Empire and the PACT fleets would continue to fight as they always had; against all odds and paying for victory in blood.

The _Legion's_ war room was empty, save for Arcadius and Fontana, the other PACT Veniczars and officers having departed at the end of their latest war council. At the center of the room, a holographic map of the Neutral Rim showed PACT forces slowly being pushed back from the edges of Alliance space and deeper into the Neutral Rim with each passing week. With the loss at Ongess, the PACT navy had divided into three primary fleets, two in defensive positions over Ryuvia and Cera and the one currently mustering with the _Legion_.

"Veniczar," Fontana bowed slightly as Arcadius summoned him closer.

"Fontana," Arcadius's blank eyes turned to him. "You were quiet during the war council."

"I apologize, Veniczar," Fontana's bow deepened. "I admit the loss of Ongess has pained me. The people have long suffered under the boot of imperialism and now they find themselves enslaved yet again. I had hoped our Revolution would mark a new dawn in their history."

"Stand tall, Fontana," Arcadius's voice was high and cold as ever. "The war is far from over yet. In chess, the sacrifice of smaller pieces is unavoidable if you are to achieve victory. The Alliance fleets outnumber our own; we cannot afford to meet them head on any longer. But they are not united in purpose as our fleet is; their greed and selfishness have made them weak and will be their undoing. The people of the Alliance are strangers to the necessities of war. Like the Imperials, they are addicted to their own opulence. Like the Imperials, our Revolution shall triumph and bring swift justice to their numbers. In the coming months, the people of the Alliance will realize the sacrifices war demands. An unruly mob content to live their lives in the riches of the core worlds, it shan't be long until their ranks break with dissident and dissatisfaction. We will take away their luxuries. Their wealth. Their comfort. And once we have, the Alliance will fall, not from our cannons, but from within, destroyed and consumed by the greed which pervades the very fabric of their society."

"And our own citizens?" Fontana asked, the specter of war hanging heavy in his eyes. "The war taxes our resources as heavily as it will the Alliance."

"Behold our proud fleets, Fontana." Arcadius gestured out the simulated windows at the dozens of PACT warships sailing alongside the _Legion._ "Our hulls are painted crimson to remember the sacrifice our people bear for the cause. We are forged in blood and by singular purpose; do not underestimate the resilience and strength of our people. Fontana," Arcadius turned to look at his understudy. "You have long been our loyal advisor. To think you were a mere slave boy when we met, yet you are now our Right Hand. The true power of our Revolution was never measured in ships and guns, but in the resolve and determination of each and every man to rise to his greatest potential and to do his utmost for our victory, as you have done."

"Veniczar," Fontana fell to his knee, head bowed. "I am ashamed; I beg your forgiveness for my lack of resolve. It shall not happen again."

"There is nothing to forgive, Fontana," Arcadius loomed over Fontana. "We shall entrust the destruction of the _Sunrider_ to you and your fleets. While it is only one ship, we fear it will interfere with our plans again. It has just arrived at Ongess. Take your best ships and draw it out. Bring us the Princess, but kill the rest. Like yourself, Captain Shields is young, but an unexpectedly formidable opponent. Take care not to underestimate him or the same fate that befell Cullen will be your own."

"Understood, my Veniczar!"

Arcadius's hologram disappeared from the room, leaving Fontana alone in silence. As he rose and straightened his uniform, Fontana allowed a frown to betray his inner turmoil. The Arcadius he remembered from the Revolution had fought tooth and nail against the Imperials for the protection of the hungry and poor. Even during the darkest days of their Revolution, never had he spoken of sacrifice with the casual dismissal he did now. With a prickle of discomfort, he could not deny himself a single, consuming question which now burned brighter than ever. "Was the war in the Neutral Rim and the destruction of the Solar Alliance what Arcadius truly would have wanted?"

* * *

Kayto and the Admiral sat in his quarters as he poured two glasses of scotch from a special liquor cabinet reserved for just such occasions. The tour had been a great success, the Admiral proving to be quite charming and interested in the differences between the _Sunrider_ and the Alliance vessels he was accustomed to.

"You have a fine vessel, Captain, thank you for the tour," said the Admiral, accepting a glass from Kayto graciously. "Lieutenant Stares' reports document the camaraderie you and your crew share, but I can see what she wrote does no justice to what you've accomplished here."

The two clinked their glasses together before sipping.

"We're the last vessel of the Cera Space Force, Admiral," said Kayto, savoring the smooth burn of the drink. "We're the only family we have left."

The Admiral nodded gravely. "The Alliance is honored to count you among our allies, Captain. I hope you have received the supplies you requested. Contact me personally if your ship requires any additional resources."

"Thank you, Admiral," said Kayto, inclining his head. "Commander Crescentia tells me that resupply operations have been smooth."

"The Alliance is a great and benevolent power, Captain." Admiral Grey sat back in his chair. "I used to grow up hearing stories of my ancestor, High Admiral Madeline Grey. She was a hero who rallied the fleets of a hundred worlds to defend Solaris from the Imperials. The Alliance was thus born of an agreement between free worlds to unify against the tyranny of the New Empire. Protecting freedom from dictators is at the very core of our founding. Now, it is our duty once again to take up arms, this time to protect the galaxy from the madman Arcadius who would see it burnt to ash in front of him. Yet, even in the midst of war, we hold true to our belief in freedom and representation; the Solar Alliance is preparing for elections as we speak."

"My best wishes for your candidacy," offered Kayto politely, raising his glass slightly.

Grey sighed deeply. "I have no desire to be a politician, Captain. I had hoped to serve honorably in the Alliance Navy to the end of my days, but my duty to the Solar Alliance is clear. As President of the Alliance, I will catalyze the government reform we have been long overdue for. Too many people and worlds, like your own, have fallen because of the inaction of the Solar Congress. Our politicians are no longer the bold statesmen of the past, but rather children on a playground, squabbling over irrelevancies and petty interests. I have no wish to see the best and brightest of our Alliance die simply because of a lack of political will on Solaris; we cannot afford not to end this war quickly and decisively."

Both Kayto and Grey paused, letting silence stretch as they contemplated their glasses. Although Kayto's deeply held suspicion of the Solar Alliance remained, he had no wish to further inflame the healing rift between himself and the Admiral over what was an academic discussion. Regardless of politics, Kayto could agree on one thing wholeheartedly; a quick end to the war would be in everyone's best interests.

"But in any matter," said the Admiral, breaking the silence and leaning forward, serious. "Let me get to the real reason why I called your ship to Ongess. Your combat record against pirates is... extensive and speaks for itself, particularly with respect to a certain pirate leader. That experience is precisely why I have requested your presence now."

"That's true I suppose," said Kayto modestly. Cracking a smile, he continued. "It almost seems a certain pirate girl has a thing for me."

"A happy coincidence then," said the Admiral smoothly. "She is here at Ongess right now. I cannot afford to have Cosette and her... associates jeopardize our mission at Ongess. Their continued presence and operations are a threat to our military and humanitarian goals. You are to find her and eliminate her. For good."

Kayto nodded. "Hunting for pirates is something of a specialty for my crew. We'll take care of it, Admiral."

"Then I wish you the best of luck," said Grey. "Ongess is her home turf, Captain. Do not underestimate her; she knows this system like the back of her hand."

Rising, the two men finished their drinks and returned to _Sunrider's_ hanger. Kryska was waiting for the two of them by the Admiral's shuttle.

"Well, that concludes our meeting," said the Admiral, turning to face the two before boarding.

"It was a pleasure having you aboard, Admiral," answered Kayto.

"The pleasure was mine," Admiral Grey turned to look at Kryska. "Lieutenant, please take care of the good Captain for us; you are lucky serve aboard a vessel as fine as this. Wear that Ceran uniform with pride."

"Sir! Understood!" Kryska saluted, eyes shining.

Turning, the Admiral began to ascend the shuttle's ramp when the entire ship shook suddenly, sending everyone sprawling. Overhead alarms started wailing.

"Argh!" Kayto grunted in pain as he and Kryska fell to the floor together, his body slamming into the metal deck of the hanger as he cushioned Kryska protectively.

"Admiral!" Kryska immediately wrestled free from Kayto's grasp, staggering towards Grey as the ship continued to rock. "Are you alright!"

"I'm fine!" The Admiral sounded winded, but otherwise unharmed, struggling to his feet as two Alliance marines rushed out of the shuttle to his aid.

"Captain! We need you in the CIC immediately!" Ava's voice shouted over the ship-wide PA system.

"Damn!" Kayto clambered to his own feet as the _Sunrider's_ artificial gravity fluctuated suddenly, making for the lift. "Kryska! Secure the Admiral!"

"I'm fine, dammit!" Grey waved off the marines and Kryska as he held onto the ramp strut for support. "What the hell is going on?"

"That's what I'm about to find out," muttered Kayto, running for the lift without a backwards glance.

* * *

"Report!" Kayto skidded into the CIC, already in Red Alert, and dropped into his seat on the command dais.

"Massive explosions from within the Alliance station, Captain!" reported Ava, throwing up a damage report of the torus shaped station on the main screen. Multiple flashing red and yellow markers showed a dozen explosions of varying severity across the torus. "No damage to _Sunrider_ to report; the station's artificial gravity generators are offline, but our own are compensating!"

"Power up all our weapons and put our Ryders on alert. Bring our reactor to full power now!" ordered Kayto as the CIC crew snapped to.

"Damn!" the Admiral's avatar materialized, transmitting from inside his shuttle. "Captain, this station houses a number of fuel tanks filled with liquid Ongessite. If they ignite-" The Admiral left the rest unsaid, but Kayto knew the results would be breathtaking, to say the least.

"Emergency dust off! Release all docking clamps and feed lines immediately, override all safeties!" barked Kayto.

"Aye, Captain!" Ava answered. "Thrusters at full, we're pulling away now!"

Another massive explosion rocked the _Sunrider_ as she pulled away from the Alliance station's docking apparatus.

"Report!" demanded Kayto as _Sunrider_ continued to shake, more explosions reverberating through their hull.

"Several fuel tanks have detonated," said Ava grimly. "Massive damage to the Alliance station. We've avoided the worse of it, but I don't think any other ships were as lucky."

"HAHAHAAAA!" a high pitched cackling scream of laughter filled the CIC as Cosette's diminutive avatar appeared. "This is Cosette Cosmos, terror of the stars! To the Solar Alliance Pig Imperialists, leave this planet at once or suffer the consequences! Our Ongessite belongs to no power and we will fight to the last man and ship to defend our home from your pilfering empire."

As Cosette's avatar faded, Ava announced, "Captain, signal analysis complete. That was a pre-recorded message; she's not here."

"Psychological warfare, huh?" muttered Kayto, disappointed.

"No Captain," Admiral Grey's avatar trembled with barely contained rage. "An act of terrorism. Unfortunately, this is not the first time a similar incident has occurred. Now that you've seen firsthand the threat this women presents to our operations here, I expect her to be dealt with summarily."

* * *

Several days later, Kayto sat in his office, plowing through report after report and sifting through terabytes of data. Somewhere, buried in all the junk, some vital clue as to Cosette's hideout or next plan was waiting to be found. Ever since the daring attack on the Alliance station, the pirates had been relatively quiet, undoubtedly biding time until their next operation.

His door chimed, interrupting his thoughts.

"Come in," said Kayto.

"Captain." Ava walked in a saluted.

"Any leads as to Cosette's whereabouts?" asked Kayto, rubbing fatigue from his eyes. Like him, Ava had also been pouring through the local data networks and Alliance intelligence.

"Not yet," Ava shook her head and took a seat opposite to him. "But I wanted to inform you that the Alliance salvage and forensics teams have finished their work at the site of her last attack; no leads unfortunately."

"What's the full extent of the damage from that attack?" asked Kayto.

"It's slowed the Alliance down," answered Ava, pushing her hair back to reveal her intense cherry eyes. "But that was one out of six stations the Alliance has set up in orbit. Security's also been tightened on the remaining five; Cosette won't be able to pull anything like that again. Not for a long time."

Kayto sighed deeply, poking at his holo without much enthusiasm.

"Captain," Ava frowned, her eyes raking over his appearance and lingering on the dark circles beneath his eyes. "You're worried about something."

"Is that concern I hear?" Kayto broke into a weary smile. "Do I really look that bad?"

Ava turned pink but glared at him. "The crew needs you at one hundred percent, Captain. It's not just Cosette that's on your mind, is it?"

"The Alliance has gotten awfully comfortable here," observed Kayto, gesturing to the holo screens showing dozens of Alliance frigates hauling cargo and the Emerald fleet's ships on patrol. "Those space stations in orbit that the Alliance set up aren't temporary. They're precursors to space elevators; in a month they'll be dropping tethers down to the planet's surface to haul Ongessite ore to orbital refineries. The Alliance means to establish a permanent foothold here in the Neutral Rim."

"Why wouldn't they?" asked Ava. "The Battle of Ongess cost the Alliance more than a hundred thousand lives and many times that much in credits. No sane person would just leave that much Ongessite alone after expending that kind of energy and resources to obtain it."

"This isn't liberation," insisted Kayto, scowling at the Alliance ships.

"Pretty political ideas, eloquent speeches, and good feelings don't win wars, Captain." Ava's face tightened. "Fuel and munitions do."

"Cera's not far from here," said Kayto after a few seconds of silence as the two considered one another's words. "We're fighting to liberate our home. Planting an Alliance flag right outside our doorsteps doesn't figure well for Cera's independence."

"Ongess is a conflict-ridden dustbowl that's been oppressed by one foreign power after another since we invented the warp engine," refuted Ava. "Cera's a free, advanced blue world. We have a history of independent government, civil rights, and economic diversification. None of those things exist on Ongess. They couldn't handle independence even if it were an option. The Alliance has no choice but to intervene. There's no such precedence in Cera's case."

"I hope you're right," muttered Kayto. "Thanks for the report Ava, was there anything else?"

"No Sir."

* * *

Later that evening, Kayto took a stroll down to the Ryder hangers, trying to clear his head, mind abuzz and unpleasantly cluttered. Most of the crew had already gone to the mess hall for dinner, but the thought of joining the general din at peak hours was enough to kill his appetite. Walking in the cavernous hanger bay, footsteps echoing in the quiet, was entirely more appealing.

"Ah. Captain." Sola's quiet voice made him jump slightly as she melted out of the shadows by Seraphim's docking berth.

"Sola," Kayto tried to give her a smile, almost succeeding. "I didn't realize anyone was still here."

Sola nodded slowly, gesturing to the Seraphim. Several access panels had been opened on the Ryder itself and the unusual weapon it carried. Glowing blue shone from only a handful of circuits and conduits. "I was having some difficulty repairing the Seraphim," confessed Sola, her voice completely devoid of frustration or fatigue. "It seems a number of the parts provided by the Alliance are not compatible with my systems."

"That's definitely an issue..." Kayto chewed the inside of his cheek as he regarded Sola's exotic looking Ryder. "We can repair the hull, but most of the gadgetry inside is beyond our ability or technology. I'll see if Chigara can come take a look at the Seraphim's systems. Even if we don't understand the technology in your Ryder, we might be able to fabricate replacement parts for the Seraphim and restore some of its function."

"I do not wish to cause trouble," Sola dropped her gaze. "I must apologize for burdening you with this."

"Trouble?" Kayto waved Sola's apology away. "The only trouble is our low tech. The Seraphim and its abilities are beyond anything we have today; I wish we could be more helpful. We must seem like barbarians to you..."

Sola gave him a small smile, allowing crack of emotion to show through. Stepping closer, she locked eyes with his. "You have helped me tremendously, Captain. Even though I am a stranger to your time, you have welcomed me as a part of your crew."

"It's the least we could do for you, Sola," answered Kayto truthfully. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"I do not understand how I survived the Final Tear of the Sharr'Lac, nor how I found myself millennia in the future, but... I am relieved, to have survived and to have met you. I no longer wish to return to the dark abyss. I wish to continue to live, to embrace my new life, so that I may continue to make new friends. I am in your debt."

"You have yourself to thank for that," said Kayto, now finding the strength to smile. "I didn't do anything. The strongest form of determination is what comes from your own heart, Sola. Not what comes from others."

"I see... I shall remember that." Sola continued to smile for a moment before turning serious once more. "But a heaviness sits upon your breast," Sola walked up to him and pressed her small hand to his chest. Looking up, her amber eyes flickered with concern. "Your burdens weigh upon you."

Kayto nodded reluctantly as Sola slid her hand away and stepped backwards. She turned away before looking over her shoulder with one eye at him.

"The stars have always granted me peace when I felt similarly," Sola said after a moment of contemplation. "Perhaps they will share your troubles as well."

Kayto nodded as Sola returned to the Seraphim without waiting for a reply.

* * *

Sola's words stuck with him as he made his way back to the mess hall. Deciding to give her suggestion a chance, he deviated to the corridor he'd found her in on their previous encounters, dimming the lights as she had done and losing himself to the sea of stars in front of him. As he drifted, some of the crushing weight upon his chest seemed to lift, a sense of serenity stealing over him as the silence and soft starlight soothed his raw nerves and mind.

"Lookin' to the stars, Capt'n?"

Kayto jerked to, unsure if he'd fallen asleep or simply lost himself to the view. Realizing with a start that he was sitting on the floor, Kayto wondered how long he'd been staring at the night sky. A quick check of his bracelet showed that more than half an hour had passed since he'd come to Sola's corridor. Next to him, Asaga put her hands on her hips, leaning forward at him and grinning.

"I didn't know you liked that sort of stuff! Usually it's Sola lurking alone in the dark," grinned Asaga, looming over him.

"Looks like you've stumbled on my secret," Kayto gave Asaga a contented look. "Actually, it was Sola's suggestion that I come here. That woman knows what she's doing."

"No, no, no!" Asaga pointed at him, fire in her eyes. "You're the Capt'n! You can't afford to skulk around in the dark and brood alone!"

"Heh..." Kayto tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "Hey, Asaga, a question..."

"Shoot!" Asaga flopped down on the floor with him, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"What do you suppose an ideal starship captain would be like?"

"Super handsome, with princely looks!" Asaga blurted her answer out immediately without a shred of remorse.

Kayto practically fell over. "Aside from looks, you goof!"

"Hey!" Asaga punched him playfully. "We gotta have priorities! Well... I suppose if that's not good enough... I think an ideal captain would be super good at navigation and other... ship things. They'd have to be knowledgeable about weapons and Ryder operations too!"

"That... wasn't exactly what I was asking," Kayto sighed. "Forget it, it's my fault I even asked. Don't worry about it." Making to stand up, Kayto felt Asaga's hand on his sleeve, tugging him back down to the ground forcefully.

"And..." Asaga's emerald eyes twinkled. "I think my ideal Captain would be someone who stands for what's right, no matter the cost. Someone who stands, not for the established order, but on behalf of the weak and poor. Someone who's... heroic. A captain who'll uphold the truth and fight, not to win, but for justice. Someone... who's willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if it means saving the lives of innocents. A believer in the goodness of humanity who knows that, no matter what happens, everything will be alright in the end."

Kayto let her pull him back. "We all try to be like that. But it's not so easy in real life."

"Nobody ever said it was!" Asaga thumped him with a giant grin. "But the only things in life worth having are hard to get."

"Heh..." Kayto smiled. "I guess you're right..." Rising, Kayto helped Asaga to her feet as well. "Thanks, Asaga. For that."

"Eh-heh..." Asaga blushed but looked extremely pleased with herself. "Anytime, Capt'n!"

* * *

Kayto loosened the collar of his uniform, ready at last to retire from the evening.

 _Bing Bing_ , Kayto's door chimed just as he got up from his desk.

"Come in," he said, trying to not sound irritated.

"Umm..." Chigara's bow poked in from outside as she nervously looked around. "Captain, it's me..."

"Chigara!" Kayto's annoyance vanished instantly. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no," Chigara came in properly, clutching a small bag in front of her with both hands. "Nothing like that. Things are going so well, in fact, that I had the Engineering department take a break. I was just wondering... I-if you had time for another round of tea." Chigara turned pink and looked at her feet before hastily holding out the bag. "I-I baked some extra pastries! I-I thought they'd go nicely..."

"Thank you," Kayto gave her a genuine smile and relieved her of the bag. A delicious, buttery smell wafted from inside, making his mouth water. As his stomach gurgled, he realized he'd neglected to have dinner. "Tea sounds wonderful; let me just get the set out. Come on down."

Before long, both Kayto and Chigara sat opposite each other in his parlor space, with steaming cups of tea. Chigara stifled a quiet giggle as she watched Kayto demolish one of the scones she brought, shamelessly helping himself to another.

"Chigara! These are amazing..." he mumbled around a mouthful of buttery flakes and dried fruit.

"Hehehe~" Chigara covered her mouth with a dainty hand, turning pink at the compliment. "Captain, it's rude to talk with your mouth full..."

"I'm sorry," said Kayto, swallowing. "I missed out on dinner, I think. You're a lifesaver, Chigara."

"Eh?" Chigara's smile turned to a frown. "Captain, you should take better care of yourself," she admonished. "Or do I have to bring you meals too from now on?"

"You're right, you're right," Kayto held up both his hands in apology. "It's been a difficult week. Honestly, Chigara... I'm not sure if I was cut out for this. I thought my command aboard the _Sunrider_ would be for routine patrols. The Cera Space Force only ever interdicted illegal smugglers and tangled periodically with local pirates and space whalers. Fighting a war like this... I was never trained for anything like it. None of us were. All of our smartest and most experienced captains and crew are dead. We're all that's left, the newest ship in the fleet. Everything's so much easier in a simulator in officer school, but now... When it's time to make a call on the spot, it's almost impossible. You never know what will happen next. You don't have time to think through the consequences. It's just a split second, twitch decision."

Kayto looked into his tea, hands clamped tightly around its warmth. "Can I tell you something?" He looked up at Chigara's expression of concern. "It terrifies me to think that the lives of everyone aboard this ship depend on nothing more than my guesses."

"Captain..." Chigara set her tea down and leaned forward, putting her hands over his, warm against his cool skin. "You've done an amazing job so far. None of us would have made it this far or long without you. I remember when Asaga and I were the only ones here. Now we have an entire hanger full of Ryders from across the galaxy. Best yet... we're all one family, Captain." Chigara looked into his eyes, light dancing across her sapphire irises. "And it's because of you."

"Chigara..." Kayto closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"We all trust you with our lives. I'm sure whatever you do, it'll be the right thing." Chigara held onto him for a moment longer before letting him go. "I'd better get back to my staff, Captain. Please try to get some sleep and take care of yourself."

"Thanks Chigara," Kayto said as she rose from her seat. "I think I'll do that."

"Umm..." Chigara gave him a bashful look. "If it's alright... may I keep coming here? I... enjoy our tea time together."

"Of course," Kayto gave her a tired smile. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't. Come by anytime."


	22. Insurgency

**So, after a tweet from the developer brought my attention to Ava's Sunrider Wiki page, I realized that someone added a bunch of notes tying in events/characterization from the novelization to the main series. I got a real good kick out of that, so cheers, unknown wiki-updater-kun! Thanks for doing that and making my day.**

* * *

Two days later, Kryska called again at Kayto's office, saluting crisply as she entered. "Captain."

"Kryska, what can I do for you?" asked Kayto, looking up from his holo.

"I've been meaning to speak with you, Sir. Permission to speak freely?" asked Kryska.

"Always," Kayto gestured to a chair. "There's no need to be so formal either, Kryska."

"Thank you Captain," Kryska settled into the offered seat, avoiding his glance awkwardly for a moment before squaring her shoulders and meeting him head on. "I understand that you have some concerns about the Alliance."

Kayto nodded. "Word spreads fast on this ship, huh? Well I suppose there's no use denying it. Even with all the support the Alliance has been giving us, _Sunrider_ will always be a Neutral Rim ship and I'll always be a Neutral Rim captain. You could say a healthy dose of skepticism is part of our way of life."

"I understand Captain," said Kryska without rancor. "Winning trust is something the Alliance is not unaccustomed to. That's what I wanted to talk about today. If you have time, I've taken the liberty of petitioning for and receiving clearance from the Admiral for you to inspect our efforts on Ongess personally. No restrictions, no filters."

"Hmm," Kayto thought about it for a moment, unenthusiastically eyeing his holo and the mountains of paperwork and intelligence reports he had yet to comb through. "We're still in the middle of resupply operations and Ava has the CIC; things have been quiet for a while. I'd be happy for a chance to stretch my legs."

Kryska broke into a smile. "I've arranged for a shuttle to take us to one of the Ongessian orbital colonies. Once you've seen the work we've been doing, I'm sure your opinion of the Alliance will begin to change."

"Alright, it's a plan." Kayto rose from his desk with Kryska. "Let me stop by the CIC and let Ava know I'll be leaving the ship for a few hours."

"Of course Captain," Kryska's hand was halfway up to a salute before she remembered Kayto's request and lowered it, smiling sheepishly. "Thank you. I'll be waiting in the hanger bay with the shuttle."

* * *

Kayto sat back in the cushioned seat of the Alliance shuttle as it ferried him and Kryska towards Ongess's habitation belt. As opposed to the cramped and spartan interior of the Ceran shuttle _Sunrider's_ hanger housed, the green Alliance shuttle's interior was sumptuous and lined with leather upholstery, clearly built with comfort rather than function in mind.

"Would you care for a drink, Sir?" asked a spindly drone in a polite, clipped voice, silently creeping up behind him.

"Uh... no... thanks," said Kayto, eyeing the monocular drone with surprise.

"Very good, Sir. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make your flight more comfortable." The drone noiselessly retreated with an almost comical bow at its midsection.

"Wow, the Alliance spares no expense for its senior officers, doesn't it?" asked Kayto, turning to his traveling companion.

"The Admiral insisted," said Kryska, squirming in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the shuttle's luxurious interior as well. "This shuttle is normally reserved for Alliance VIP's and high ranking politicians. I assure you our military shuttles are far more similar to the _Sunrider's_ own."

Kayto laughed, cutting the tension. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound judgmental. Please remind me to thank the Admiral personally when this trip is over."

"Yes Captain." Kryska relaxed significantly. "We're close enough to see the orbital now."

Gesturing, Kryska summoned a holoscreen in the middle of the shuttle's large passenger compartment. A large cylindrical orbital station came into view, utterly unremarkable compared to the hundred other orbital habitats which circled the planet. As the shuttle burned closer, Kayto could see dozens of green Alliance ships docked to the side of the habitat, their boxy hulls identifying them as civilian cargo haulers. On closer inspection, the entire habitat appeared to be in a state of extreme disrepair; only emergency exterior lights glowed dimly, the station's reactor apparently unable to supply enough power to maintain proper exterior lighting. Impact craters lay fallow, only millimeters of hull separating the pressurized interior beneath it from the vacuum of space. The rest of the hull was a slapdash affair; quick fixes, gleaming epoxy caulks, and broken pipes wheezing steam and atmosphere into space marred the habitat's exterior from pole to pole.

"Welcome to habitat P4X-684, Captain," said Kryska grimly as Kayto looked at the state of the habitat with disbelief. He'd grown up hearing stories of how miserable life on Ongess was, but seeing it first-hand drove the point home in a way he'd never appreciated before. "This habitat is one of dozens just like it, built during the occupation of Ongess by the New Empire."

Kayto watched the habitat grow larger on the screen, still astounded that people lived aboard it. Up close, the habitat looked even worse, as though it were on the verge of tearing itself apart from its own gentle rotation. As the shuttle drew closer to the station, a crack formed on its outer hull, widening. For a moment, Kayto couldn't tell whether the hull had simply given up holding itself together, but, fortunately, it became apparent that the opening was intentional. Rusted and poorly maintained blast doors ground opened to admit the shuttle into a dim hollow filled with refuse and junk from centuries of neglect, some of which drifted out carelessly into the vacuum of space.

The shuttle flew through the open maw, pausing as the chamber sealed from space, pressurized, and admitted the shuttle to the station interior. As the interior airlock doors opened with the tortured squeal of rusted metal and grinding gears, a dim, weak light struggled to penetrate the veils of dust that obscured the shuttle. It took Kayto a moment to realize that the station's artificial sunlight was not simulating dawn or dusk, but was simply barely able to illuminate the station interior from a lack of power.

The shuttle eased into the station proper and flew down the open middle of the cylinder, giving Kayto a dizzying view of the slums which completely encircled the entire exterior wall of the habitat, stretching into the distance to the other end of the station before ending in the forbiddingly large structures of the station's Ongessite refineries. Ramshackle building after building slouched against its neighbor, their corroding walls and roofs patched up with all manner of scrap metal, tarp, and industrial refuse. A dark, sticky grime seemed to cover nearly every surface, giving the entire station interior a sickly appearance. Smoke rose in a thousand thin, curling columns, settling over the entire habitat as a hazy film; with a start, Kayto realized the inhabitants of the station were cooking on outdoor open flames, burning whatever trash they had scraped together to cook their evening meal.

A green patch in the middle of the sea of brown and rust came into view; an Alliance camp, the only thing remotely clean or new they'd seen since entering the habitat. The shuttle jazzed its belly jets as it set down on an empty landing pad among towering palates of Alliance supply crates and temporary structures. With a heavy thump, the shuttle announced its arrival and the side hatched opened as a ramp dropped down to deliver its two passengers.

"Holy..." Kayto covered his nose with his sleeve as his eyes watered. The smell of smoke, raw sewage, and stale air slammed into him like a physical wall as the habitat's atmosphere mixed with that of the shuttle. "Are the life support systems defective?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Kryska as she rummaged through a supply crate at her feet. "We were all shocked when we first arrived here. According to the original blueprints for the station, this habitat was meant to house ten thousand workers and the orbital refineries they'd operate. It was never meant to be luxurious, but there was something almost like a standard of life when it was built. As you can tell, the New Empire exceeded that population limit outrageously during their occupation; nearly half a million people live here now; the station's infrastructure simply cannot keep up."

"That's... unbelievable," muttered Kayto, stepping out onto the station's dirty surface. Dust and ash swirled around his boots, revealing dull metal plating underneath. What Kayto had initial construed as an attempt to replicate a terran surface on the station's "ground" was actually two centuries of accumulated filth and pulverized debris.

Kryska followed him out of the station, offering him a respirator. "These masks should filter out the worse of it," she said.

"No," Kayto declined the breathing apparatus. "I… want to experience the real thing."

Kryska nodded sagely, tossing the devices back into the shuttle. "Of course. Believe it or not, Captain, we've already installed new air purifiers throughout the station and made repairs to the station's ventilation systems. I doubt the life support on this station would have lasted another five years; we had to practically replace the whole thing. Come this way, let me show you what else the Alliance's been doing here."

Kryska and Kayto walked together through the Alliance camp as the former pointed out the numerous healthcare clinics, power generators, and water filtration units, and ration distribution tents the Alliance had set up. Lines of Ongessians, all dressed in the same patched, frayed, and filthy smock-garments formed a giant, heaving mass of groaning humanity as the Alliance relief camp struggled to maintain order and distribute aid.

"Please be patient and proceed in an orderly fashion. We have enough food, water, and medicine for everyone," a loud voice broadcasted over the PA system every few minutes.

"The food and medicine situation was just about as bad as you could imagine," said Kryska as the two watched a hoard of Ongessians descend upon a newly opened crate of rations as Alliance marines did their best to herd them into a line for the relief workers to start passing out the foil wrapped meals. "Even clean water is a luxury on this station. The cargo ships you saw outside are some of the biggest relief vessels we have in the fleet; dozens of them come and go around the clock, but even so, it's been a struggle for us to keep up with the demand."

Kayto watched wordlessly as some of the Ongessians who'd received meals immediately tore into the foil wrapped contents with almost animal expressions on their faces, devouring the nutrition-fortified protein-based rations with tears streaking down from their eyes. In less than three minutes, the mob had swelled to the point where the Alliance marines seemed to give up on maintaining the queue, focusing on maintaining the semblance of a perimeter around the food crate. Shouting started and the Ongessians began squabbling and fighting each other for the food that had already been distributed. More marines began to arrive to restore order and resume the food distribution, pushing through the crowd and breaking up confrontations with the fatigued air of men and women who'd seen it a hundred times before.

Shaking her head and leading him further, Kryska and Kayto left the tragic scene behind, passing dozens of medical shelters, each with nearly fifty cots placed closely together; not a single bed was unoccupied. Ongessians of all ages lay groaning as medical personnel moved between them, starting medical drips or performing procedures in mini-sterile fields at the bedside. "Decades of Ongessite refining without the proper industrial safeguards have spread toxic chemicals throughout the station," said Kryska, gesturing at the impromptu hospital. "The health toll's been appalling, but that's not all. Diseases that have been eliminated throughout the rest of the galaxy run rampant here; virtually no one is immunized with even the basics. As you can imagine, violence and crime are also responsible for a large percentage of our most critical patients," she finished, nodding back in the direction of the mob jostling for rations.

As the two reached the end of the Alliance camp, Kryska turned to Kayto and pointed to another supply-laden shuttle as it touched down. "In just the few days since we arrived, the Alliance has delivered over fifty metric tonnes of fresh food and twice as much clean water to this station alone. Similar relief efforts are underway for the other orbitals as well. An entire medical cruiser is docked on the far side of this station to take the most critically sick and we've diverted more than a dozen additional medical cruisers from the front lines to tend to the civilians on the stations. Engineering crews are working around the clock to shore up what infrastructure already exists here; we've also built six water filtration stations around the habitat and organized neighborhood patrols for safety. In a few weeks, we should see the first schools and hospitals in the history of Ongess being built."

Turning around, Kryska nodded towards the end of the Alliance camp and the heaps of rubbish and dilapidated buildings as far as the eye could see beyond the camp's fortified walls. "What you see out there is the result of tyranny and exploitation of innocents, Captain. The Alliance is a force of good in the galaxy; we've sent the tyrants packing from this system and brought change for the people of Ongess, all at the cost of our own blood and sweat. Our compassion and technology will make the galaxy a better place, starting with Ongess."

Kayto said nothing for a long time, watching garbage blow in the sour breeze of the habitat and the endless waves of Ongessians mournfully drifting into the relief camp. "Do you really believe that, Kryska?"

"Captain." Kryska turned to him and smiled. "Do you want to know the truth? I wasn't born on Luna and I apologize for saying so when I first came aboard. I was actually born outside Alliance space. I saw firsthand what corruption and dictatorship could do to innocent people. My family lived in constant fear of a government that demanded the entirety of our livelihoods from us. The same government that did nothing to protect us from pirates and criminals, yet somehow always found money for more secret police and surveillance drones to terrorize us with. When the Alliance liberated my world... it was the happiest day of my life. For the first time I could remember, I was free... free to do whatever I wanted, free to live as a human being."

Kryska looked to the distance, eyes shining with pride. "The Alliance has stood for freedom and individual choice since the day of its birth. Even at the end of the New Empire's guns, the Alliance formed not out of fear or oppression, but from the universal truth that all of humankind has the right to freedom, equality, and opportunity. Every man, woman, and child in this universe deserves that right."

Kayto said nothing but felt his misgivings against the Alliance start to wear thin. What Kryska spoke was the truth; the Solar Alliance had enacted great change throughout the galaxy for numerous worlds. More than that, when he looked at the Alliance relief camp, he could not help but feel relieved that someone had shouldered the responsibility for Ongess. Although Cerans were all acutely aware of the poverty that pervaded Ongessian society, his own government had never lifted so much as a finger to provide relief as the Alliance had done. Out in the Neutral Rim, planets had cultivated a self-centered view of the galaxy, seeing only to their own local needs and concerns without regard for their neighbors. Perhaps such an arrangement had been doomed to fail from the start.

A pale, sickly looking girl with lank, dirty pigtails shambled up to them. Her clothes were little more than a roughspun tunic and she was not even wearing shoes. Beneath the grime and dirt that caked her skin and hair, Kayto saw several weeping skin lesions. With dull, turquoise eyes, she watched them warily and paused before coming any closer, clearly unwilling to come within arm's reach.

"Little girl," Kryska crouched down to her height and gave her a warm smile. "Come here. What's your name?"

"Kyoko." The girl took a cautious step forward towards Kryska.

Kayto also knelt. "I'm Kayto, and this is my friend Kryska."

"Kyoko, Kayto, and Kryska?"

Kayto laughed with Kryska. "We make quite the trio."

"Mommy says I shouldn't talk to strangers," Kyoko shuffled anxiously, giving the two a wary glance, but coming closer all the same.

"She's right," said Kryska. "But don't worry; we're not going to hurt you."

"Are you... one of the star people?" Kyoko's eyes were round as coins.

"Star people..." Kayto shook his head in disbelief, pity for the girl tearing at his heart. "I guess you could call us that."

"Please!" The girl sudden balled her fists and closed her eyes as tears began streaming and cutting tracks through the dirt on her cheeks. Kayto and Kryska jumped in surprise. "Please take me away from here! I don't care where! Just take me away on your spaceship!"

"Kyoko..." Kryska's eyes moistened.

"I-I'm sorry..." Kayto felt his heart breaking. "We can't... your mommy would miss you too much if you left."

"I don't care!" Kyoko stamped her bare foot on the ground. "Mommy doesn't care!"

"Kyoko," Kayto softened his voice and tried to keep it steady. "I know this place isn't as fun as a spaceship... but do you see my friend here?" He pointed to Kryska. "She's Lieutenant Kryska Stares, of the Alliance Navy. She and her friends are going to make this a nice place for you, all right? They'll bring you good food and help you if you ever get sick. They'll plant trees, build schools, maybe even playgrounds for kids like you. But it'll take a little time. You just have to be patient."

Sighing deeply, Kayto held his hand out towards the girl, fingers trembling. "But always remember: stay with your family." His voice choked slightly as his throat thickened. "Because once you lose them... you never get them back."

"Captain…" Kryska's voice was sad as she set a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Okay..." Kyoko sniffled but nodded, turning and running back to the slums.

Kayto stood with Kryska, swallowing hard against the dust and emotion.

"Shall we continue?" asked Kryska quietly after a moment.

"No," Kayto shook his head wearily. "I've seen enough. Let's go back, Kryska."

They walked back together, the silence hanging heavily until Kryska spoke up again. "Captain, I know things look grim now, but, perhaps one day, with Alliance intervention, the people of Ongess will live in prosperity."

"How long do you think it'll take to restore a civil society?" asked Kayto.

"With the war still going on, our resources are limited. We're doing the best we can for now, but imagine how things will look once the war's finished and the Alliance can dedicate its full strength towards reconstruction and relief. We'll be able to make long-term sustainable changes to Ongess instead of simply relieving their most immediate problems." Kryska put her hands on her hips and looked around the Alliance camp with pride. "Captain, I enlisted with the Alliance Navy to do good. Perhaps we are distrusted in the Neutral Rim, but our intentions are peaceful. I truly believe we can accomplish great things together."

"Mmm." Kayto nodded. Kryska was right. He'd grown up on a planet blessed enough to stand on its own and provide the luxuries and comforts of technology, liberty, and stability. The soft life his people led on Cera allowed them to ride on a high horse and proclaim everlasting independence, but for worlds like Ongess, perhaps the Alliance was truly their path to salvation. At any rate, Kryska was also right on account that the Alliance had always respected, if grudgingly, a planet's right to decline joining; a courtesy that the PACT had never shown. "Kryska, thank you for bringing me here today. I... apologize for my bigotry. The Alliance has done more here in a week than my planet has done for Ongess in decades."

"Captain." Kryska's eyes shone with happiness. "I'm glad to hear you say that, but I do understand. It's hard for people in the Neutral Rim to trust us. Honestly, we're merchants first and foremost. The Alliance has never had militaristic-"

A series of explosions rocked the ground and an alarm shrilled in the camp as two pillars of smoke rose from the far end of the camp. Spinning, Kayto and Kryska watched in surprise as dozens of Alliance marines streamed towards the explosions, weapons drawn, fighting to push past the waves of screaming civilians fleeing from the commotion.

From behind, a smaller, far more subdued blast blew dust and rubble at the two, knocking them flat on their faces as a dozen masked men with machine guns poured into the Alliance camp through the hole they'd just blown through the wall.

"Captain!" Kryska coughed from the dust, crabbing blindly towards him.

Staccato bursts of machine gun fire and the whine of lasers filled the air for a moment before the dust cleared. Looking up, Kayto and Kryska found themselves staring at no fewer than a six machine gun barrels, some of them still smoking slightly from recent discharge. The Alliance marines who'd stayed behind to guard that segment of wall slumped from their posts, blood dripping from dozens of holes in their armor.

"Shit..." Kayto raised his hands slowly as Kryska did the same.

One of the gunmen grabbed Kryska's pistol from her holster and kicked her in the side for good measure.

"Hey!" Kayto shielded her protectively as she curled up with a groan of pain and made to rise and confront the aggressor. A heavy, cold metal feeling pressed against the back of his head, pushing him back down to his knees.

"Hehehehe..." a very familiar laugh came from the breach in the wall with the sound of crunching rubble drawing closer. "Welcome to Ongess, Captain."

Kayto ground his teeth in frustration and anger as Cosette's tiny body materialized from the dust cloud, her goons parting quickly to give her full view. "Cosette! How'd you find us?"

Cosette's iron eyes sparkled maliciously. "A little bird told us everything we needed to know and pointed us in the right direction."

From behind her, Kyoko also emerged, pointing excitedly at Kayto and looking at Cosette with pleading eyes. "It's him! That's the star man with white hair! She called him 'Captain'!"

"So he is," Cosette took a silver piece out of a slot on her violet Ryder armor, flipping it towards Kyoko. "Good work little bird. You've earned this platinum."

Kyoko snatched the oblong coin out of the air and scampered away excitedly.

" _Damn..."_ Kayto thought to himself as his mind raced furiously. More explosions and gunfire erupted from the far end of the camp, making rescue by the Alliance marines seem unlikely. "You should have never brought children into this, Cosette."

Cosette spat into his face, kicking him in the midriff for good measure. "You arrogant prick. Don't you dare lecture me." Grabbing his hair as he doubled over and forcing him to look up, Cosette's grey eyes flashed with borderline madness. "When I was her age, I had already killed men twice your size." Dropping him, she let him crumple into the dust next to Kryska. "This isn't your cozy little core world, Captain. This is Ongess. The pit of the galaxy on the wrong side of hell. Bag 'em, boys. I've waited a long time for this..."

Before Kayto could say anything, he felt several pairs of rough hands haul him to his knees. A split second later, a blinding blast of pain and nausea hit him from behind as his world went dark.

* * *

"Captain! Captain!"

Kayto slowly swam back to something resembling consciousness, following the sound of Kryska's voice through a sea of nausea and vertigo. Flashing scenes of blurry light, the harsh grating of metal on metal, a sensation of racing motion and the sound of his own pained screaming meshed together in a nightmare tableau as the world slowly stopped spinning and resolved.

Groaning, Kayto coughed and groaned, tasting bile in his mouth. Every inch of his body felt like it had been beaten... twice. Looking up and focusing, he saw Kryska's face swim out of the darkness, pale and concerned, a brilliant violet bruise under one of her cheekbones. "K-Kryska...?" His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, and his entire throat felt like sandpaper. Swallowing, Kayto gagged and coughed again before running his rough tongue over his cracked, parched lips.

"Captain!" The relief in Kryska's voice was obvious. "Thank goodness! Are you alright?!"

"U-ugh..." Kayto's vision sharpened and widened, showing the full extent of their predicament. Kryska sat opposite to him, her uniform crumpled and filthy. The two of them appeared to have been tossed into what looked like a dead end of a sewage pipe. Tiny and cramped, the air was humid and stagnant with human filth and rot. The hard, curving surface of the pipe was unforgiving against his back and a stream of the filthiest imaginable water flowed between their boots, soaking in through their uniforms. He also became aware of an aching numbness in his arms, bound behind his back by plastic fasteners that cut deeply and painfully into his wrists and elbows. "Y-yeah... I think... What about you?"

"I'm fine." Hands bound in front, Kryska managed to clumsily wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, her hands surprisingly soft, eyes worried. "It was you they beat the hell out of... I... was afraid..." her voice caught. "Damned pirates... this station was supposed to be secure..."

"Thanks," Kayto felt slightly better as she wiped her hands "clean" on her uniform carelessly. "It's no one's fault... like you said, there are nearly half a million people on this habitat. It's the perfect hideout for Cosette and her goons; there was no way you could have known."

A screeching sound of tortured metal made both of them wince as light suddenly flooded into their prison, a burly guard mercilessly flashing his electric torch in their faces as he unlocked and opened the barred door. Stooping into the dank and filthy cell he pointed the bright light at Kayto's face. "Boss wants to speak with you."

"Fine," Kayto stood unsteadily as Kryska did the same. "We won't cause trouble."

"Not you." The guard shoved Kryska back down into the filth with a splash. "Just him." Without another word, he grabbed Kayto by the lapels and half-dragged, half-threw him out of the cell. Kayto crunched against the far wall, winded as the guard slammed the door shut on Kryska, who peered out at Kayto helplessly.

"It's alright, Lieutenant," Kayto said, trying to catch his breath. "Do as they say. If Cosette wanted us dead, she'd have done it already. She'll probably try using us as leverage or something..."

"Sir." Kryska nodded, swallowing hard. "Understood. Be safe."

"You too, I'll be back," answered Kayto with more confidence than he felt as the guard grabbed him once again, hauling him along.

* * *

Kayto did his best to remember the way out as his escort brought him up to the surface. About five minutes later, the guard shoved him through an armored door into the blazing brightness outside. Blinking and blinded, Kayto waited for his eyes to adjust, even the station's stale air feeling like a welcome breeze compared to the confines of the cell he shared with Kryska. Rough hands guided him and plunked him down on a chair. A moment later, the world came into view and he found himself sitting at a small table across from Cosette in what appeared to be courtyard of sorts. Dozens of heavily armed, tattoo-ridden pirates scowled all around, smoking cigarettes and comparing the sizes of their guns with each other while others swapped bundles of cash and packets of drugs.

"Caapptaiin..." Cosette leaned forward, grinning. "My favorite person in the world. You look like hell. I hope my boys didn't rough you up too badly." Laughing remorselessly, Cosette slammed a canteen down on the table, its contents sloshing. "You thirsty? You've been unconscious for more than a day after the beating we gave you. Have some water."

Kayto stared at the canteen wordlessly, desperately trying not to lick his lips. Looking up, he glared at Cosette.

"Ah, you pussy." Cosette opened the lid and took a long drink from the canteen, some of the water running out from between her thin lips. "See?" Getting up and walking around the table, she lifted the canteen to his lips and tilted.

"Mrph!" Kayto choked and spluttered as he tried to spit the sludgy, burning, acidic and rancid water out as Cosette tilted the canteen even further.

Cosette and her goons all laughed unkindly until she relented, pulling the canteen back. Kayto gagged and coughed, spitting as he tried to rid his mouth of the foulness. "What's the matter, pretty boy?" Cosette gave him a slap to the face and threw the canteen down on the table. "Our water not pure enough for you?" Putting a finger under his chin, she lifted his head to her gaze. "A lifetime of drinking water laced with Ongessite and refinery toxins fucks you up big time. Makes some of us go crazy. Babies born with one eye. Six fingers. Sometimes you vomit blood for no reason. Lucky for me... it just made me stop growing since I was eleven." Cosette fixed him with her pale gray, pitiless eyes. "How old do you think I am, Captain?"

"It's not kind to guess a woman's age," he shrugged, still breathing hard.

"Heh," Cosette took her hand off his chin and ran a finger down his cheek. "Smooth talker. You must be real popular with the women on your ship."

"Sorry to disappoint," Kayto pulled away as best he could. "My personal life's not even boring; it's non-existent. What do you want, Cosette?"

Cosette slinked around the back of his chair and pulled a knife from a recessed slot in her suit. In a single deft movement, she grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, pressing the cold edge of the blade against his Adam's apple with practiced ease. Kayto felt a warm trickle roll down his neck as the knife pressed down.

"If it were up to me, I'd cut you up into a hundred pretty little pieces, starting with your fingers and toes, maybe work our way up to something a bit more interesting after a week or so, and mail you piece by piece back to your pretty lover on the _Sunrider,_ " Cosette said dreamily. "What was her name again?"

"F-fuck you..." grunted Kayto, feeling the cold bite of Cosette's knife as he uttered the words..

"Non-existent personal life my ass," Cosette pulled the knife away and threw his head forward in disgust. "Unfortunately, it so happens you're worth a little more to me alive than dead. Business before pleasure, I'm afraid. Besides, I was always more of a businesswoman than a killer."

Kayto chuckled grimly.

"What, you think something's funny?" Cosette flared up, brandishing the knife. "Believe me, Captain. I'd relish slicing a very choice part off for your lover to keep, so don't fuck with me."

"You've killed too many civilians to not call yourself a killer," spat Kayto, glaring at the diminutive pirate. "You attack civilian ships, execute their crews, and steal their cargo. How are you anything but a killer?"

"Foreigners have been stealing our Ongessite far longer than I've been pillaging the galaxy!" snapped Cosette. "Our infants are born monsters. Our fathers die in Ongessite refineries like dogs. Our livelihoods are taken from us the moment we're born. And those responsible call themselves Emperors, Presidents, CEO's, general managers... businessmen."

"Stop this, Cosette," Kayto said firmly. "We can help you. We can help Ongess."

"Well, well... look who bought the whole Alliance dog and pony show," Cosette sneered at him and continued in a mock high-pitched voice. "They just want to give us food, water, and medicine! Oh my, what benevolence! What generosity and charity! I'm going to start crying!" Cosette spat in the dirt by his feet, returning her voice to normal. "Help us my ass. They're here for the Ongessite, nothing more."

Kayto gritted his teeth. "What about the medical cruiser they've docked? What about the dozens of ships carrying as much food, water, and medicine as the Alliance bring? Take a look at their camps, Cosette. The Alliance is doing more for Ongess than anyone ever has. People are smiling, for the first time in generations I bet."

"Nothing but tricks!" Cosette glared at him. "You don't think the Imperials offered us the same when they 'liberated' us from the Holy Ryuvian Empire? They promised us rights that never came. Brought food which spoiled and poisoned our people. Gave us technology that broke. Fresh water that became tainted with Ongessite as they forced us to refine it right atop our homes. No! The only truth is that greed runs the galaxy. All you pig imperialist bastards are the same, it doesn't matter what you call yourselves."

"No." It was Kayto's turn to glare. "Don't you ever call me one of them. I'm from a Neutral Rim world, just like Ongess. I want independence for my world, just like you. Unlike you, I have the Admiral's ear. We don't have to fight, we can work together, Cosette. We're in it together."

For a moment, Cosette's fierce attitude seemed to waver. Kayto almost dared to believe there was some way they could come to a mutual understanding but Cosette crossed her arms and shook her head, dashing those hopes in an instant. "It's too late for that, Captain. Independence or death. I want those Alliance dogs to take their ships and their tricks out of the Ongess system within forty eight hours. That is my only demand."

"You know that won't be possible," Kayto said, feeling the situation slip from his grasp just as a way forward came within reach. "The Alliance would never give into a demand like that."

"Then we'll hit them until they can't bear it any longer." Cosette's steely eyes hardened with determination. "They'll have to burn every habitat around Ongess to get us all. Every death they inflict on our people will only strengthen our cause. They'll never win against us."

"You're... mad." Kayto looked at Cosette with horror and disgust, realizing that the pirate queen intended to see her entire world burn and its people slaughtered in her crusade. "It doesn't have to be like this. There are still innocents out there... children. Don't involve the children... at least the children," he finished, thinking of Kyoko and the desperate look in her eyes as she begged them to take her from the life she lived.

Cosette's face contorted with a mixture of fury and disgust. "Innocent children, huh...? You really have no idea, Captain." Leaning down to his ear and cradling his head like a lover, she whispered so that only he could hear, her thin lips barely brushing against his skin. "When I was a child, my own, dear, sweet mother sold me to entertain some Imperial soldiers overnight. For a bottle of water. When I became a teenager, she forced me to keep pretending to be a child, easy for someone with my... condition. The market for teens was saturated, see? Supply and demand. She was a businesswoman too."

"Cosette..." Kayto struggled to find words for the horror and pity he felt for the life she'd led.

Cosette's hand clamped down on his shoulder, vice-like. "So don't pretend like you understand a thing about life on Ongess. I killed my mother like the bitch she was. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way. I'm Cosette Cosmos, Terror of the Stars. Nobody fucks with me, Captain. NOBODY!" Cosette screamed the last word in his ear, sending pain exploding through his head.

"Y-you're making a mistake!" Kayto said through gritted teeth, his ear ringing.

"Enough with him, I'm bored." Cosette kicked Kayto's chair over furiously and delivered a brutal kick to his ribs.

"ARGH!" Kayto felt something crack; breathing suddenly became hard.

"Take him back to his cell," Cosette turned on her heel and walked off as her goon grabbed Kayto under his arms and hauled him away. "Time to find out how much he's worth to the Alliance."

* * *

"Captain!" Kryska looked up as the pirate guard tossed Kayto headfirst into the cell.

Spluttering and spitting the sewage out of his mouth, Kayto struggled to right himself, each breath an agonizing effort and harder than the last.

The door clanged, plunging the two into semi-darkness as the guard slouched off, content in the knowledge that his charges would be going nowhere.

Kayto felt Kryska's hands pull him, helping him up. "Kryska... your hands."

"I think I may have found a way out," Kryska's honey colored eyes were clouded with concern for him as she leaned close, whispering. "It's not much, but I found this cement chip. I've managed to cut through my restraints. Give me a moment and I'll get yours."

Kryska worked for a minute before Kayto felt the plastic bonds snap. Blood rushed back into his arms and hands, sending shooting pains throughout as he moved his rock-like limbs for the first time in more than a day.

"Don't do anything reckless, Lieutenant," gasped Kayto as she propped him up. "The Alliance will come for us..."

"You're hurt, Captain." Kryska sounded close to tears as she watched Kayto clutch his side with the pain. "I'm not going to let you stay here. This was my fault... I brought you here. I'll do whatever it takes to make it right."

"Hey!" Steel grated once more as the prison guard wrenched the door open. Kryska and Kayto hid their hands before the torch illuminated them. "Boss wants to see you."

"Again?" coughed Kayto wetly, tasting blood.

"Not you," the guard leered unpleasantly. "The girl this time. Got something fun planned."

Kayto struggled to push himself towards the guard. "No... not her... me instead..." he gasped, breaths shallow.

"It's alright Captain," Kryska looked pale but stood up. "I can take care of myself."

"No... Kryska..." Kayto flailed helplessly as Kryska walked forward. "Kryska!"

"Shut up," the guard turned and kicked filthy water over Kayto.

In the moment he turned away from Kryska to deliver the abuse, the Alliance officer moved with sudden speed and agility, looping one of the plastic bonds from Kayto's arms around his neck and garroting backwards.

"Gurk..." The burly guard struggled to call out for help, but Kryska expertly crushed his trachea with the improvised garroting wire. Stomping downwards with her foot, she crushed the guard's knee, caving it in from the back with a sickening crunch and driving the larger man down. Without hesitation, she began brutally pounding the guard's forehead into the concrete wall of the cell, still choking any sound with the plastic bond. Wet and crunching sounds thudded rhythmically, turning the sewage trickle red, until Kayto heard a final crack, the man's neck snapping. With a wet splash, the guard's limp body fell into the water.

Panting, Kryska got off the guard in disgust and pulled Kayto to his feet, throwing his arm around her neck as she helped him out.

"Kryska..." Kayto wheezed painfully.

"Shh, save your breath." Kryska shifted to shoulder more of his weight as his knees buckled. "We're going to get out of here."

Nodding, Kayto pointed towards the exit.

* * *

Thankfully, it seemed the pirates had left the building to attend to some other activity. Kayto and Kryska encountered almost no resistance as they staggered towards the surface. Just before reaching the door leading outside, Kryska set him down, holding a finger to her lips before creeping off. Mind reeling, his breath coming in little more than short gasps, Kayto sluggishly remembered Icari's accusation of Kryska's background as Alliance Spec Ops. Two sounds came in rapid succession like crunching twigs as Kryska dispatched the remaining guards with brutal efficiency, leaving the coast clear for their escape.

Coming back, Kryska pulled him up once more, frowning at his blue lips and pale complexion. By the time they reached the outdoors, Kayto's vision was narrowing, his brain slowly registering Kryska setting him down beside a large crate between two buildings as she watched the patrolling gunmen in the courtyard warily.

"Stay with me, Captain. Just a little longer," she urged, rubbing his cheek as his head lolled. "Cosette's got this place locked down tight... I think we should make a break for an escape pod. Once we've launched, the Alliance will find us in minutes."

A siren suddenly wailed throughout the camp. "Damn!" Kryska jumped, pulling Kayto up, practically dragging him as she tried to make for one of the habitats ancient escape pods. "They've found out we've escaped. We don't have much time!"

A dozen sets of boots thundered towards them and the clattering of bolts being pulled back on machine guns filled the air as the pirates rushed around looking for them, shouting as they spotted the two's damning footprints on the dusty ground leading to their hiding spot. Kryska propped Kayto up with one arm while raising a captured pistol, waiting for the first pirate to round the corner into the alleyway.

"Kryska... go." Kayto tried to push her.

"I'm not leaving you, Captain!" Kryska's grip tightened. "We're going together or not at all."

"The latter I'm afraid." Cosette's cold voice came from behind.

A dozen goons rounded the corner simultaneously at both ends of the alleyway, pointing their guns at Kryska as the Spec Ops officer spun around, pointing her gun hopelessly at the pirates. Wordlessly, she threw the pistol to the ground as one pirate gestured, his message clear.

Cosette appeared from between her heavies. "Hehehehe... You don't look so good, Captain. I don't think you're in any condition to travel. Pity I have to keep you alive... but the girl's a different story. I'll make her scream good... payback for my guards."

Two of Cosette's gorillas roughly grabbed Kryska, tearing her away from Kayto, who crumpled to the ground. Forcing her to her knees, the goons held her still as Cosette drew her knife from her Ryder suit slowly and lovingly.

"So tall... You have no idea what it's like being stuck like this." Cosette's eyes flashed with madness. "You'll just have to see for yourself once I cut those nice long legs of yours to size... hehehehe... HAHAHA!"

As Cosette picked her way forward slowly, Kryska began to struggle, eyes wide. One of the goons clapped a hand over her mouth as she tried biting down, immune behind his thick glove, stifling her scream of fear and fury. Cosette place a hand firmly over Kryska's thigh and pressed her blade just above her knee.

"Gurk..." Kayto reached out, seeing the world at the end of a tunnel. The sight of tears streaming down Kryska's face and her muffled screaming gave him a spike of adrenaline, bringing the world back into focus sharply. With a start, Kayto saw a laser dot dancing on the forehead of the man gagging Kryska.

CRACK

The man flew backwards, his spine arching and a spray of blood and brains blasting out of the back of his head, slicking the ground behind him.

"SHIT!" Cosette reeled backwards, dropping her knife and narrowly avoiding another shot which drilled into the wall beside her as her heavies spun around, looking for the source of fire.

Summoning the last of his strength, Kayto lunged at Kryska, knocking her loose from the remaining distracted guard and dragging her down to the ground with her.

CRACK CRACK CRACK

More shots echoed through the alley as Cosette's men dropped like marionettes cut from their strings, falling prey to the sudden and extremely prejudiced Alliance sniper fire. As Kayto and Kryska clung to the ground, brilliant light flashed around them as dozens of flashbang grenades detonated with deafening sound, disorienting every guard in the pirate encampment. Explosions sounded as Alliance marine teams breached the perimeter, sweeping in with laser rifles and eliminating the disorganized criminals as they tried to rally or flee.

"ARGGHHH!" Cosette's scream of fury rang out above the noise and death that swallowed the compound. "KILL THEM ALL!" Crabbing backwards, she withdrew to the shadows as an Alliance marine squad charged into the alley, gunning down the pirates that remained standing like animals.

"This is Delta team," the squad leader's filtered voice came out of the anonymous full face helmet the Alliance marines wore. "We have the VIPs."

Forming a protective perimeter, two marines guarded each end of the alley as the squad leader dropped his rifle and grabbed Kayto's arm and threw it around his neck, hauling him up. Another marine tossed Kryska a pistol, who caught it midair and cocked it.

"Get us out of here, soldier," she barked at the squad leader.

"Yes, Ma'am! Raven-Five, we are ready for extraction! Repeat, ready for extraction!"

Together, the marines began to retreat, as a shuttle came roaring in, landing in the middle of the ruined compound. All around, the sound of machine gun fire and the locust whine of lasers filled the air as other marine teams dispatched the fleeing pirates mercilessly.

As the Alliance marine half-carried him to the shuttle, Kayto suddenly saw movement from the corner of his eye. With horror, he realized it was the girl he and Kryska met at the Alliance camp, Kyoko. "Wait!" Kayto wheezed, using every last bit of air to make himself audible above the battle's noise. Pointing a trembling finger at her, he tried willed the Alliance marines to understand and take her from the combat zone as well. "Help... her..."

Time slowed as his breath caught. Terror mounted as he saw the girl bend down and pick up Cosette's fallen knife.

"Put the knife down. PUT IT DOWN!" screamed one of the marines on rear guard.

Two shots rang out as scarlet blossomed over Kyoko's filthy garments. No air left to scream with, Kayto pulled with all his might against the Alliance marine holding him, dimly aware that his helmeted voice was screaming in his ear and of Kryska's hands on his chest, holding him back and pushing him towards the waiting shuttle. In that moment, nothing else in the galaxy mattered as much as reaching the girl as Kayto broke free, staggering towards her.

Kyoko's eyes were wide with shock as she brought a trembling hand to her chest, pulling away with red. The knife clattered on the ground as her body turned slack. Locking eyes with Kayto, Kyoko's turquoise eyes turned dull as something flitted away from behind her irises and her body crumpled to the ground.

All around, pirate machine gun fire stuttered out of the shattered windows of the shanties overlooking the courtyard as Alliance marines fired back. Explosions rocked the complex as the Alliance and pirates continued trading fire, the situation escalating out of control.

With a scream, three Alliance gunships banked out of the sky, dropping down to the level of the buildings. Several more explosions blossomed as the Alliance gunships mercilessly strafed the gunman's positions with laser fire and rockets. The pirates fired back haphazardly, launching missiles and rocket propelled grenades from long shoulder mounted tubes without aiming. More than one shanty blew apart like wet cardboard, trapping screaming and fleeing civilians under the flaming wreckage. Whether it was the Alliance or pirates who had fired the explosives, it was impossible to tell, but the result was devastating. Combatants and civilians littered the ground alike, bleeding, weeping, staring up with empty eyes.

It was too much to bear and as the scene from hell swirled around him in a whirlpool of color, noise and death, Kayto felt his body crumple and give out, exhausting its final reserve. As he fell to the ground, he reached out for Kyoko's limp and bloody hand; darkness swooped in and swallowed him whole.


	23. Wounds

"Captain..." Kyoko's blank eyes stared at him in accusation. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and ran thick over her clothes from torn flesh and shattered bone. "You killed me..."

Kayto's eyes opened a crack to bright lights and a blurred world. Beeping pounded incessantly in his head and he felt mounting panic grip his chest. The beeping intensified.

"Damn it, he's waking up," a muffled voice said, sounding far off. "Captain, stay calm, you're safe, everything is alright. Up the gas, put him back under. Push another five of midazolam."

"No..." Kayto became aware of a plastic mask over his face, forcing air into his lungs. The mounting panic and nausea crashed into him in waves; everything was not alright. Something had gone horribly wrong. He tried to raise a hand to his face, to tear off the mask before he vomited.

A gloved hand pushed his leaden arm back down firmly. "Captain! Stay still. We're going to help you!"

The overhead light seemed to get brighter and closer, whiting the world out into empty oblivion.

* * *

Kayto blinked his eyes in confusion. The world came into focus and he found himself strapped to a gurney, its gel padding conforming to his body. Groaning, he lifted his head slowly and looked around to find Kryska sitting next to him on a fold out chair from the wall.

"Captain." The Lieutenant's voice was gentle. "Take it easy. We're on a medical shuttle going back to the _Sunrider_ from the Alliance medical cruiser. You're just waking up from the drugs they used to put you under." The bruise Kryska had sustained on the habitat was now miraculously gone, as were the other lacerations and contusions she'd suffered during their capture and escape.

Kayto groaned, letting his head drop back onto the pillow behind him. "What happened?" He'd expected to feel a world of pain, but felt... normal, for the first time since their capture.

"Cosette broke about three of your ribs and gave you a tension pneumothorax to boot," said Kryska. "Never mind the hit to your head and just about every soft tissue contusion you could imagine. Delta team extracted us and brought us straight to the medical cruiser for medichine submersion."

Kayto nodded, the mystery of their miraculous recovery explained. The memories of their hellish captivity and escape came roaring back to him. For a moment, the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and screaming filled his ears before fading away to a ring in the background.

Kryska undid the straps on his gurney and handed him a small paper cup with water as he sat up unsteadily. Kayto gratefully gulped it down, the spinning sensation in his head clearing up.

"Captain." Kryska's face was a mask of remorse and regret. "As your Liaison Officer, I offer you my humblest apologies, Sir! It was my responsibility alone to protect you during the inspection and, in that regard, I have failed. I'll happily accept any punishment you deem fit."

"Kryska..." Kayto shook his head. "It's not like that. I told you before, no one could have known ahead of time. Besides, without you... I'd have never... I have you to thank that I'm alive."

"Sir!" Kryska protested. "If it were not for me, you would never have been in such danger in the first place!"

"No, I... needed to see that." Kayto felt the pieces fall heavily in his mind, clicking together with clarity. "Seeing everything has made things apparent for me."

"Sir?" Kryska looked at the expression on his face apprehensively.

"There's no side in this that can claim the moral high ground." Kayto's voice was bitter. "All of us... our hands are all tied by the interests we carry and our eyes are clouded in the judgment we render. We share the blood of the innocents equally. The Alliance... Cosette... me... we're all guilty."

"Captain!" Kryska's eyes were wide with shock. " _Sunrider_ , her crew, and you have done nothing to wrong the people of Ongess! We only arrived days ago. As for the Alliance... We're doing everything we possibly can for the Ongessians! I do not know of any other power in this galaxy that would gift more in humanitarian aid."

Kayto said nothing for a moment, staring at the floor. "A gift, by its very definition, means you seek nothing in return. The Alliance wants something from Ongess. Something it can't get anywhere else the same way. Tell me, what's the difference between Ongess and a dark world like Tautenia?"

"I-I'm not familiar with..." Kryska said uncertainly.

"Of course not," Kayto looked up, interrupting her. "Tautenia's a remote planet in the middle of nowhere in the Nomodorn Corridor. Ongess is located on major shipping and traffic lanes between Far Port and Cera. Tautenia's nothing more than a chunk of ice; there's nothing worth digging for or exporting on the entire damn planet. Ongess is the galaxy's single largest source of warp drive and Ryder fuel. How many aid ships do you think the Alliance has dispatched to Tautenia?"

"Captain." Kryska shook her head. "Even the Alliance's resources are not infinite, we need to concentrate our efforts on the worlds where it will do the most good. Ongess has thirty eight billion human beings killing each other for food and water. We have no intention of robbing Ongess; we only wish to establish trade routes. Food, water, medicine, technology, a chance to better their lives, all at a fair market price for their Ongessite."

"And what started as a gift becomes leverage for negotiation." Kayto saw as Kryska squirmed uncomfortably. "As noble as the Alliance's intentions could be, as fair as the trade, do you think the people of Ongess were truly offered a choice?"

"Ongess is of strategic importance for this war," Kryska said, without much conviction. "Perhaps once it is over..."

"The Alliance will never stop being interested in the Ongessite on this planet, Lieutenant." Kayto said firmly. "But..." his tone softened. "I hope I'm wrong. If everyone in the Alliance were like you, I'd rest easy."

"Captain..." Kryska's eyes flooded with emotion.

"The Infinite Emperor help me... I hope the Alliance proves me wrong." Kayto closed his eyes. "Cosette and her gang need to be stopped. Their actions, even if they take them in the name of independence, have led to nothing but the maiming and slaughtering of their own people. They're as much responsible for the suffering on Ongess as anyone. Independent or as part of the Solar Alliance, the people of Ongess will never have peace or prosperity with people like her at large. I want her stopped; dead or alive."

"With pleasure, Captain." Kryska's voice turned cold and hard.

Clanging from the outside of the shuttle indicated that the vessel had reached _Sunrider_ and started its docking procedures.

"Ava will want a detailed report of the incident. You are to report to her; that will be punishment enough I expect," sighed Kayto as the shuttle entered _Sunrider's_ hanger bay.

* * *

Kayto and Kryska's safe return caused a fair amount of commotion in _Sunrider's_ hanger as they descended from the ramp of the Alliance medical shuttle. Applause and cheering filled the hanger as _Sunrider's_ crew breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight of the two of them walking down the ramp unaided; Kayto and Kryska both blushed at the warm reception, smiling with embarrassment.

"All right, all right," Ava's voice snapped like a whip. "All crew, back to your duties," she said, dispersing the crowd.

Unsurprisingly, the Ryder pilots failed to heed her words, converging on Kayto and Kryska over Ava's protests, pushing her to the rear.

"Capt'n!" Asaga grinned, coming up to him as Icari and Claude hugged Kryska. "Glad to see ya up and about! Ya had us worried for a second, ufufufu!"

Kayto laughed. "A hundred PACT warships couldn't make you worry, Asaga. You didn't let a little whelp like Cosette scare you, did you?"

"In your dreams, Capt'n!" Asaga punched his arm. "Like I said, it was only for a second! But if she laid a finger on you, next time we tangle, I'm gonna give her a piece of mah mind!"

"Eh..." Kayto shrugged, not wanting to make much of the ordeal. Although the memories were still raw and fresh, physically, his wounds were no more than a minor discomfort after the Alliance nanite treatment.

"That scumbag!" Asaga seemed to guess the worse, hissing and leaning forward with a glare. "I'll be sure to get you some payback next time, Capt'n!" Asaga continued, issuing a stream of filth and insults that would have impressed even the most hardened of Ongessians.

"All right, settle down," Kayto decided to contain Asaga before Ava had her tossed in the brig for the verbal assault. "Cosette's actions are unforgivable and misplaced, but, fundamentally, she's fighting for her people. I can respect that, if nothing else."

"No, no, no!" Asaga stomped her foot, unwilling to yield on the issue. "Don't listen to her propaganda! She's an evil pirate and that's all there is to it! I'm gonna pound her face into the dirt for everyone she's hurt, including you!"

"Heh... thanks." Kayto gave her a tired smile. Eyeing the lift at the end of the bay longingly, he made to step around her.

"Captain." Asaga grabbed his arm for a moment, holding him back and looking somber. "Seriously... don't do that again."

"Asaga..." Kayto's eyes widened slightly with surprise as the redhead pilot dropped her gaze to the deck, her bangs hiding her eyes. A faint glow from her cheekbones gave her away, however. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good!" Asaga looked up again, a grin returning to her face. "Alright! I gotta get back to mah Black Jack. Got a big fight comin' up and I bet anything Cosette'll show her ugly mug again. Gonna tear her Havok a new one!"

Kayto snorted softly, Asaga's bright attitude never failing to hearten the moment. "Carry on, Asaga."

Turning towards the lift, he found himself suddenly in the middle of Icari, Kyrska, and Claude's conversation.

"Heh, I still can't believe you got yourself captured by a little runt like her," sneered Icari, striking a smug pose. "What happened to all your Spec Ops training, eh, Spy?"

"I repeat," Kryska snapped, nettled. "There were forty armed gunmen. The Captain and I had no choice but to surrender!"

"Oho!" Icari snorted in delight. "First it was a dozen, now it's forty. That's Alliance editing for you."

"It was a chaotic situation!" protested Kryska, reddening. "You cannot expect me to recall every last detail!"

"You two..." Kayto shook his head wearily. "You argue like a married couple."

"E-eh!?" Icari blubbered.

"S-she started it!" Kryska pointed an accusing finger at the blushing mercenary. "Sir!" she added as an afterthought.

"W-well it's not my fault Soldier Boy here got herself captured," Icari crossed her arms, playing it cool and pointing her nose in the air.

"Ah, ah, ah, Icari..." Claude's eyes sparkled maliciously. "Don't you remember? You nearly burst out crying when you found out they'd been captured."

"I-I was not CRYING!" Icari shouted, eyes shut and trembling with indignity.

"And then," Claude continued mercilessly. "You marched down to the armory with Sola and strapped so many guns to yourself you nearly fell over. What was it you were saying, oh right... 'We got to rescue the Captain and Soldier Boy before it's too late, damn it!'" Claude parodied Icari's voice, puffing out her chest and shaking her fists in the air.

"T-that's not what happened!" Icari's face could have fried an egg.

"Oh no?" Claude tightened the noose. "Tell it to the six marines you put in the medbay when they tried to relieve you of the weapons."

"I-I have n-no idea what you're talking about, hahaha!" Icari's voice was strangely high-pitched.

"So," Claude draped her arms around both Kryska and Kayto's shoulders. "Which of these very single and available officers did you do it for? Ufufufu..."

"EAAHH!" Icari shrieked. "S-shut up, shut up, shut up! I didn't do it for anyone! I don't care about anyone! I-In fact, I'm too experienced for to care about relationships. N-not that I'm interested in that kind of stuff. 'C-cause I'm not!"

"Captain, we're detecting a thermal spike from the Tsundere Cruiser!" laughed Claude.

"I-I'm going!" Icari stomped off. "T-the Phoenix needs... calibrations..."

Kayto shook his head and extracted himself from Claude's grasp, walking past her and Kryska.

"Ava..." he said, coming up to his First Officer. Ava's eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. Her hair seemed lank and oily; even her uniform was rumpled.

"C-captain!" Ava saluted. "Welcome back, Sir!"

"Stop that," Kayto grabbed her hand and pulled it down to her side. "I'm glad I'm home..."

"E-eh..." Ava's cheeks turned pink as she pulled her hand away. "E-everything's nominal aboard the _Sunrider_ , Captain! N-now that you're back... I mean."

"Are you alright, Ava?" asked Kayto, concerned. It was not like Ava to be so frazzled. He tried to think of the last time he'd seen her like this, failing miserably.

"I-idiot!" Ava crossed her arms angrily, looking anywhere but his eyes. "O-of course I am... I-I just haven't been able to sleep... running the ship, of course!"

"I see..." Kayto gave her a big smile and an unexpected hug.

"E-eh?!" Ava's eyes shot wide with surprise. "Mmoouuu... Kayto... the crew... they'll see..."

Not wanting to push his luck, Kayto let her go. Ava immediately sprang back, almost as red as Icari, looking around wildly, daring a crewman to make eye contact.

"Get some rest, Ava," Kayto winked at her before moving along. "You look like you could use it."

"I-idiot," Ava covered her burning face with a hand. "I should be the one saying that to you..."

Kayto retreated to the end of the hanger, walking towards the lift when he saw a swish of short white hair dart behind Seraphim's docking berth. "Sola?" he asked.

"Captain." Sola's amber eyes peered out at him from the shadow of her Ryder.

"What are you doing lurking over there?" he asked, trying to coax her out.

"So many people..." Sola gave the busy hanger a look of profound concern before steeling herself to come out into the light. "I'm... relieved you have returned unharmed." she said quietly before allowing her lips to quirk up slightly.

"Thanks, Sola," Kayto said warmly, now almost used to her deadpan expression. For Sola, the flicker behind her eyes and the tiny smile was her equivalent of an emotional outburst. "I hear you and Icari got into some trouble."

"..." Sola turned pink. "I realize now that our behavior was irrational. The statistical likelihood of our success weighed against Alliance intervention was laughable. I apologize for my lapse in judgment."

Kayto gave a bark of laughter, Sola's serious tone making the situation even more amusing. "It's not like that Sola." He looked at her fondly. "I appreciate it even more because it was irrational."

"You are a strange, troublesome man," Sola turned away, still pink. "I shall let you rest now. Farewell." Sola faded back into the shadows before Kayto could say anything else.

* * *

"C-Captain!"

Something slammed into Kayto's chest as the door to his quarters hissed open. "C-Chigara!?"

Chigara buried her face into his chest before pulling him into his quarters without another word. As soon as the door hissed shut, she began sobbing into his uniform, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric as she let loose with a torrent of tears. "I-I came here as soon as I heard you were back... I was so scared... so scared."

Kayto smiled and held Chigara tight, stroking her soft, mauve hair and breathing in her sweet scent as she continued to sniffle. "It's alright. I'm back now. I was only gone for a few days."

"T-they hurt you!" Chigara's crying intensified again. "I h-hacked into the medical cruiser's systems... Don't pretend like nothing happened! They hurt you..."

"Nothing the Alliance couldn't fix," Kayto said, trying to reassure her.

"Don't ever do that again!" Chigara looked up at him, eyes swimming with tears and red. "Ever! I'll never forgive you if you make me worry like that again!"

"It's alright... It's alright..." Kayto muttered, holding her until she calmed again.

Chigara pulled away with a wet gulp, looking embarrassed. "Ah... Chigara's a mess... I need to clean up..."

"Take a shift off," urged Kayto, looking at his distraught Chief Engineer. "You look like you haven't been sleeping well."

"Mhm," Chigara nodded gratefully. "I'll let you rest too, Captain... good night..." Looking calmer, Chigara left his quarters for her own.

* * *

Kayto had just let down his guard when the comms chimed on his desk, causing him to jump.

"Captain, the Admiral for you," came a crewman's voice apologetically.

"Thank you, put him through," sighed Kayto, rubbing the fatigue from his eyes. Even though he'd spent the better part of the last day asleep under the auspices of the Alliance medical staff that had treated him, his body still screamed out for rest.

"Captain," Admiral Grey's avatar materialized, a look of profound concern and apology written all over his face. "You have my sincerest apologies and that of the entire Solar Alliance for the lapse in security. It was our responsibility to see to your welfare during your inspection and we have failed miserably in that regard. I can only say that I am relieved beyond words that you and Lieutenant Stares were successfully rescued and treated for your injuries."

"Admiral," Kayto nodded. As the Admiral said the words "successfully rescued," he felt anger bubbling up from his stomach in a toxic wave. "How many civilians were killed during our rescue?" he asked, struggling to keep the fury from his voice.

"I do not have an exact figure." The Admiral's face hardened. "You've seen it yourself. On Ongess, the line between combatant and civilian are not always clear. I've read some disturbing reports alleging that children as young as seven are being recruited to fight in Cosette's pirate gangs. What I do know is that thirty two insurgents were neutralized; six of our own men were wounded during the action."

"As young as seven..." Kayto struggled to suppress his rage. "Do you count them among the insurgents? Did you count that girl among them!?"

"I-I have no idea what you mean." The Admiral's tone was startled by Kayto's sudden question.

"I saw your men gun down a girl, no older than ten in front of my own eyes..." Kayto felt his vision blur. "All because she picked up a knife..."

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Captain." Grey's voice was sincere. "Urban conflict invariably leads to collateral damage.

"Collateral damage..." Kayto spat the words out. "Words like that make you sound like an oppressor, not a liberator, Admiral, and the people of Ongess will see you as such. You can offer them as much food, water, and technology as you like. You can promise them rights and democracy, but so long as you continue to mine their Ongessite and enforce peace at the end of a barrel, you'll always be their enemy."

Grey sighed wearily. "Very well Captain, you've made your point. I shall personally open an internal inquiry into the incident. I will not have it said that either I or the Alliance will tolerate gunning down a young girl."

"That's it?" Kayto asked with disbelief. "No... we... we have to do more."

"Captain." The Admiral leaned forward, drilling into him with a somber expression. "I will be frank with you. Not everyone in the Alliance agrees with what we are doing out here. The Progress Party is doing everything in its power to run ads and campaigns that paint and accuse me of being an emperor. Of plundering Ongess for its minerals. 'What's the difference between a Veniczar and the Admiral? One's running for office,' they say. The Progress Party has been playing on fears that I mean to end civilian control over the military and government and many people are starting to listen. If negative press regarding our actions on Ongess were to get out, the fallout could be catastrophic. Our relief and aid programs would be jeopardized, as well as this war effort. If the Progress Party were to win the election, we might see even worse. The results would be devastating for both Ongess and our war, Captain. It would be devastating for Cera as well. You must understand that the situation is delicate and must be handled with due caution. You have my word that those responsible will be dealt with swiftly and justly, but internally by my office."

"You want to cover this up," said Kayto in disbelief, seeing the Admiral as if in new light. "No... I cannot allow that. If you won't go public with this, Admiral, I will."

"Captain." The Admiral spoke tersely through gritted teeth. "You think I like playing these games? You think I would not rather hold my head high like you? You are a noble man, and I respect that, but think! Will going public bring food, water, and medicine to the people of Ongess? Will it fuel our starships and give us the push we need to win the war?"

"I saw..." Kayto struggled as Kyoko's face flashed in front of his eyes. "Damn it, Admiral! She was young enough to be one of your granddaughters!"

"Captain, in war, atrocities occur!" the Admiral practically shouted, giving into frustration as well.

"Only when good men fail to act." Kayto's voice could have frozen helium.

"You..."

The two men stared at each other, refusing to back down. The Admiral looked livid.

"Every Grey since the High Admiral has dedicated his or her life to serving the Alliance... So many of us have thrown down their lives to protect the ideals of the Alliance throughout the galaxy... Only to see it torn apart by the squabbling and weak politicians of the Solar Congress! I will not let them end me here! Not after everything I've accomplished!" The Admiral's chest heaved.

"Listen to yourself, Admiral!" Kayto's temper flared as he glared at the older man. "This isn't about the people of Ongess anymore... it's about you getting elected! Face it, Admiral! You've become a politician, yourself. While innocent children are being murdered, you're playing politics instead of standing for what's right. You'd rather sweep this under the carpet and score a few more votes than stick to the ideals and integrity of your family and the Alliance. Your ancestors would be ashamed!"

Grey crumpled like a cruiser hit with a full salvo of Savior slugs. Dropping his head into his hands, he ran his wrinkled hands through his short, white hair. When he looked back up, he looked older and wearier than ever before. "...You... are right..." Sighing deeply, the Admiral seemed to swallow his anger and straightened his back. "I did not enlist in the military and take up the mantle of the Solar Alliance to cover up atrocities. Neither did my ancestors. We, the Solar Alliance, are... and will continue to be honorable people. I shall open a public investigation and make amends to the Ongessians."

Kayto let out the breath he'd been holding, feeling respect for the man returning. "Thank you, Admiral."

The Admiral gave him a glare, but spoke without rancor. "That concludes this call then... I am about to be a very busy man for the next few days..." Shaking his head, the Admiral reached out to terminate the call from his end. Pausing just as his finger rested upon the button, the Admiral looked at Kayto once more. "Captain."

"Sir?"

"You are an honorable man. But if you are to survive this war..." The Admiral left the rest unsaid.

"I know..."

With one final nod, Grey terminated the call, leaving Kayto to his own thoughts.

* * *

On one of the hundreds of dilapidated orbital habitats ringing Ongess, Cosette and her gang retreated to yet another one of their infinite safe houses.

"Tsch..." Cosette paced the filthy courtyard, kicking garbage out of her way as her goons studiously avoided any eye contact. Her foul moods had a reputation as being even less healthy than working in an Ongessite refinery... and more painful. Twirling a knife in her hand, Cosette muttered angrily to herself. "Should have cut up that bastard when we had the chance..."

"B-boss..." one of her lackeys shuffled up apologetically, bowing and shuffling.

"What is it?!" Cosette screeched at him.

"F-FTL transmission for you, boss," said the pirate, turning pale. Trembling, he set down a portable communications unit by her feet.

"Cosmos. How are things?" Fontana's avatar popped up, crackling with static. The Veniczar's immaculate clothing stood out as a far cry from the surrounding filth as he put a hand on hip, looking at Cosette as though she were a moderately interesting museum curio.

"Piss poor." Cosette spat in the dirt. "The Captain gave us the slip and the Alliance has dug in deep."

"Unfortunate." Fontana's cyan eyes flashed with annoyance with the news. Flicking a stray strand of purple hair back, Fontana gestured at someone off screen. "No matter, we simply proceed with our other plan. I am forwarding you instructions for the coming battle. Study them carefully."

"Oh?" Cosette smirked as the backpack beeped with the receipt of encrypted information. "I thought you guys had left us for dead after the ass whooping the Alliance fleet gave you last week. Coming back for seconds?"

"Hardly." Fontana studied his nails deliberately. "This is a... personal mission, shall we say? Not that the two objectives are mutually exclusive, as I think you'll see."

"Lone wolfing, huh?" Cosette's eyes twinkled with interest. "I'd have never thought I'd see such individuality from a Red."

"Hmph." Fontana merely looked bored.

"So what's in it for us?" demanded Cosette, cutting to the chase.

"I can give you what you've wanted for all these years." Fontana's eyes seemed to glow as he leaned forward. "Independence for Ongess, once and for all."

"Heh heh..." Cosette's shoulders started to shake. "Eheheh... AHAHAHAHA!" Cosette's insane laughter echoed alone through the deserted slums. "Deal."

* * *

Kayto had expected the unrest in Ongess to increase with the Admiral's public inquiry into the death of Kyoko and a number of other child casualties in a dozen other Alliance-Insurgent confrontations, but it seemed the average Ongessian was so numb to such headlines that the news barely marked any change in day-to-day life. The impact in Alliance media, however, was the exact opposite. The Progress Party had seized upon the scandal to push back against the Admiral's candidacy and had forced his campaign team on the defensive. For his part, the Admiral had countered the Progress Party's accusations with guile, using Kayto's own words to urge that the issue remain one of morality and honor, rather than politics. For the moment, at least, it seemed that the Admiral's tactics had worked; the scandal passed in the news after a few days, leaving the Admiral's camp somewhat weathered, but no less determined or capable of continuing in the general elections.

Over the next week, _Sunrider's_ crew joined the Alliance ships on patrol while they searched every available data stream and security report for any clues as to Cosette's current location or planned targets. The search had been largely fruitless, the local insurgents having gone to ground after the Alliance stormed Cosette's compound during Kayto and Kryska's rescue. Alliance reinforcements arrived daily, bringing platoons of marines to bolster the defense of Alliance facilities everywhere. Each passing day meant the pirates would have a more difficult time striking at the Alliance, but Kayto's gut told him that the lull in pirate activity was that of a patient predator, biding its time to strike, rather than that of a group cowed into submission. The fragile peace which had afforded the Alliance time to rest, resupply, and regroup over the last week had been, therefore, almost more nerve wracking than if the insurgents were in full and open uprising.

To make matters worse, it seemed an impending PACT counter-offensive was all but inevitable. PACT scout ships had been making regular warp jumps at the edge of Alliance sensors and patrol space to monitor the system, warping back to their main fleet before any forces could engage them. In the last week alone, fifteen such interlopers had visited the Ongess system and retreated before a single shot was fired.

With the bulk of the Alliance's Combined Fleet stationed at Ongess for refueling and repairs, it made sense that the PACT would monitor their activity closely. Kayto suspected the PACT was simply trying to play a game to lure enough Alliance ships from their standard patrols in pursuit of the scouting vessels to allow a larger strike force of ships to slip behind Alliance lines and attack the Alliance ships while they were vulnerable refueling or undergoing repairs. With the sheer number and proximity of refueling and repair docks and liquid Ongessite depots, such an attack would be devastating. Were the liquid Ongessite reserves to ignite, Kayto suspected the entire Combined Fleet would be annihilated in one of the most violent explosions in recorded history.

 _Bing Bing._ Kayto's door chimed as Ava entered his quarters.

"Ava," Kayto looked up from his holo as his First Officer took a seat opposite to him. "Anything to report?"

"Not much." Ava shrugged and forwarded him a report nearly identical to her last on her holo. "Another PACT scout, same story as the other ones." Ava scrutinized him more closely, her cherry eyes slightly narrowed. "How are you feeling, Captain?"

"We're chasing after a ghost while the entire fleet sits on top of a powder keg that could blow us all back to Far Port with the PACT breathing down our necks. No big deal," Kayto did his best to grin. "Business as usual."

"Hm." Ava frowned at his nonchalance, clearly not buying the act. "It might interest you to know that Alliance Intelligence has forwarded us a personnel dossier on Veniczar Fontana. It's believed that he is leading the fleet responsible for these incursions."

"Fontana, huh?" Kayto flicked open the dossier on his holo, scrolling through the Veniczar's profile.

"He's probably the youngest PACT Veniczar," reported Ava. "Despite that, he's at the very top of the PACT chain of command. Most see him as Arcadius's right hand man. Details are few, but from what we do know, he's as brilliant as he is deadly. During the PACT Revolution, he routinely trounced larger and better armed Imperial fleets with unorthodox tactics and maneuvers which kept his opponents off balance and obscured his true intentions. At the Siege of Neume, his flagship sank five Imperial battleships alone in a single engagement and his forces held out against hundreds of Imperial ships for nearly two months before PACT reinforcements came. This is not a man to be trifled with, Captain."

Kayto looked at the man's holo still. Intelligence and cunning glinted dangerously in the man's eyes as he stared out at whatever camera had captured his likeness. "Crushing on the enemy commander is a punishable offense, Commander," he said to Ava sternly, flipping his holo around to show Ava Fontana's handsome features.

"Very droll, Captain." Ava shoved his holo back at him, scowling. "It may also interest you to know that Asaga met the man while she was being held on the _Legion_."

"Oh?" Kayto arched an eyebrow, curious. "What did she say about him?"

"You can imagine," Ava sighed with resignation, imitating Asaga's voice. "Oh right, that guy. He was actually pretty good lookin'... you know, for a Red."

"He's pretty good looking for just about anyone," laughed Kayto, not in the least surprised with the details which had remained salient to Asaga's memory of their encounter.

"Irrelevant," Ava said with an annoyed twitch. "What's important is that he's unlikely to be like any PACT commander we've ever faced. We should not underestimate his abilities."

"Agreed, thanks for the advice." Kayto nodded, showing Ava that he was serious. "Let me know if anything changes."

* * *

Hungry, Kayto drifted to the mess hall, taking a detour through Sola's favorite corridor for a glimpse of the stars on his way to dinner. With the ship in high orbit over Ongess, half the view was occupied by the rust-colored planet, curving gently into the distance, a shore in the sea of stars. From orbit, Ongess could almost be misconstrued as having a barren, desert-like beauty.

"Captain." Sola's voice came from the darkened corridor as he approached.

Kayto gave a faint smile as he saw her holding a half-eaten sesame ball with her dainty fingers, chewing slowly. "Did you just finish eating, Sola?"

"Yes." Sola paused. "Regrettably."

"Next time," said Kayto reassuringly. "I never thanked you for recommending that I come here a while back. I think I understand why you spend so much time here now; thank you."

"Ah." Sola looked away.

"Have the stars ever answered your questions?" asked Kayto.

"You wish to talk." Sola turned back and fixed him with a stare, seeing straight through his small talk and getting to the crux of the matter.

Kayto nodded. "The Ryuvian Empire of your time ruled Ongess. Tell me, as the Sharr, would you have given them independence?"

Sola was silent for a minute as she contemplated the question. "You misunderstand the duties of the Sharr. The Sharr did not influence policy; rather, she was subservient to it. Therefore, I have never given such matters serious thought."

Kayto frowned, looking at the dusty world beneath them. "The Ongessians have suffered under the hands of foreign powers since the settling of their planet. It's not the sort of history you recover from overnight or without careful intervention, the sort the Alliance is trying to provide. To make matters more complicated, their Ongessite is a vital strategic resource in this war. Our ships and Ryders need it to fly. We can make superior arms and armor with it; thousands of lives could be saved with Ongessite armor plating on our ships. Yet occupation of their system as we are doing now only perpetuates the cycle of suffering on their planet."

Sola popped the rest of her sesame ball in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully and deliberately before swallowing. "Such dilemmas come with power, be it the throne of Ryuvia or at the head of your fleets. Men in my time and your time crave it; kill for it. But you are different." Sola's gaze made Kayto feel as though she was staring straight through him, seeing something deeper within. "You were thrust onto the stage, not by choice, but by circumstance. Perhaps that makes you the one most fit to decide. In my time, the Emperor decided who lived and who died, such was the power inherent to the throne. I was denied it in my past life, but I had always hoped the man who took the Star Palace would be a fair ruler who would make decisions for the good of the Empire."

"The good of the Empire..." Kayto shook his head. "Terms like that are hard to define. It's even harder to predict the consequences of the decisions we make."

"Nevertheless." Sola turned her gaze outwards again. "I am sure of one thing; that you will make your decisions for others before yourself. If men in my time had thought like you, our Empire may have remained intact. But I speak out of turn. I am merely a simple peasant girl."

"Hahaha!" Kayto laughed. Although Sola had determined his qualifications to make decisions based on his disinterest in doing so in the first place, she had, ironically, decided that her humble background somehow diminished her words. "Perhaps that makes you the one most fit to speak," he teased, reflecting her words back at her.

Sola turned pink but remained silent.

"Thanks Sola, I'll come back to you whenever I need advice."

* * *

Most of the crew had already left the mess hall by the time Kayto entered. Kayto walked up to the meal dispensary without even needing to wait, a welcome change from the line that was usually in front of it.

"I have Far Port Sea Bass sauteed with vegetables over rice pilaf or a Ryuvian curry, also served over rice, with your choice of protein," announced the dispensary in a polite voice.

"I'll have the fish," requested Kayto, impressed. The standard of food had certainly improved dramatically since the Alliance began filling their supply requisitions. Whereas the Ceran and Tydarian supplies _Sunrider_ had stocked previously were essentially re-hydrated and fortified bulk protein and carbohydrate reconstituted into something resembling food, the Alliance supply lines robust enough to accommodate the shipping of fresh food, a luxury most Alliance military ships took for granted apparently.

"Excellent choice. Coming right up, Sir."

A minute later, Kayto's meal popped out of the kitchen's slot, the steaming fish laying on a bed of rice, its fresh aroma making Kayto's mouth water. Picking up his tray, Kayto scanned around the mess hall for a moment before finding a familiar headband sitting at one of the tables.

"Ah. Captain." Chigara smiled warmly as he sat with his tray across from her. Her meal was already half-eaten, but she seemed happy enough for the excuse to dawdle.

"You're alone today," pointed out Kayto, unfolding a napkin across his lap and picking up a piece of fish delicately with his chopsticks. The fish's flavor burst into his mouth as he bit down, it's buttery and smooth texture literally melting in his mouth. It had been too long since he'd tasted real food.

"Yes," Chigara's face brightened as she watched Kayto dig into his dinner with enthusiasm. A moment later, a worried expression crossed her face "Asaga's been acting strangely lately. She's been calibrating Black Jack's systems over and over again. She's even stopped playing her games and spends every spare minute in the simulator. I've been eating alone for the last week..."

"Really?" Kayto was surprised. Asaga's free spirit didn't seem to permit that kind of focus ordinarily. Kayto suddenly wondered if she was channeling Ava's spirit or if his First Officer had somehow managed to possess her. "That is strange..."

"N-not that it's a bad thing she's taking her duties more seriously!" Chigara hastily covered her bases. "But I am a little worried. I wonder if she's overdoing things a little..."

"Well," Kayto swallowed his food. "Asaga's not the type to do anything in moderation, you know?"

"That's true..." Chigara looked slightly reassured. "We all know there's a big battle coming up and we're all doing our best!"

"I know..." Kayto set down his dinner with a sigh. "But it feels like this time will be different... the PACT's been acting strangely."

"Strange?" Chigara cocked her head to the side. "In what way?"

"The majority of their fleets are currently holding defensive positions. I would have expected them to mass for an assault to re-take Ongess from the Alliance, just like the battle the Alliance fought to take it from them, but we can't see any signs of that kind of mobilization. Still, they keep sending scout ships to monitor our activity and keep us off balance, so we know they're operating at least a small fleet within warping distance. It just worries me that I can't figure what the PACT is after."

"Could it have something to do with Cosette's pirates?" asked Chigara.

"They're definitely a part of it," answered Kayto. "The only thing I can think of is that the PACT might be trying to lure enough patrol ships away so that they can warp in a small squadron and strike at our dry docks and Ongessite tanks. They'll probably try wearing us down, week after week with feints and ruses until we slip up and they open a hole through our lines."

"Don't worry, Captain," Chigara's resolve firmed. "We'll just have to stay alert so that we don't make a mistake. The PACT knows it needs Ongess back, so if we hold out long enough, they'll be forced to revise their plans."

Just at that moment, a familiar redhead in her Ryder suit ambled into the mess hall and collected a tray of dinner.

"Asaga!" Kayto waved her over.

"Uck..." Asaga's face involuntarily made a strange expression as she saw Kayto and Chigara having dinner together... alone. The funny feeling she'd felt in her chest on the beach fluttered once again. "H-hello Capt'n! E-enjoying your dinner with Chigara?! Uwahaha-hahaha!"

"Umm..." Kayto frowned at Asaga's odd behavior. "Yeah, just trying to figure some stuff out."

"Mhm, mhm," Asaga nodded vigorously and continued to gabble rapidly, as though manic. "That's great, isn't this food great? Yesterday we had bulgogi, today we've got Ryuvian curry. Alliance rations sure are generous, huh?" Asaga put her steaming tray down on the table for a moment, allowing the eye-watering vapors of her super-hot curry to sting Kayto and Chigara's eyes. Without hesitating, she grabbed a bottle of chili oil and doused her dinner with it.

"E-everything alright, Asaga?" asked Chigara tentatively, eying her friend's dinner with concern.

"Listen up Chigara!" Asaga gave her a manic grin, causing Chigara to jump slightly. "The key to victory is first conquering spicy food. You're not a true hero unless you can handle the heat!"

"I... see..." Chigara did her best to smile.

"Well," Asaga snapped the chili oil bottle shut and slammed it back on the table. Snatching her tray up, she gave the two a giant, forced smile. "I'm off, you two enjoy the rest of your meal!"

"Why don't you join us?" asked Kayto quickly, offering her a seat. "Take a break."

"Nonononono!" Asaga's voice sped up even more. "I've still got more scenarios to run in the simulator. Can't let those skills get rusty, ya' know? PACT could attack at any moment."

"Make sure you don't overexert yourself," said Kayto as Asaga turned to leave. "Burning out before the PACT even get here won't help either."

"Uwahahaha!" Asaga laughed loudly as she walked off. "Thanks for the concern, Capt'n, but I never run out of energy!" Kicking open the mess hall doors, Asaga left the mess hall without a backwards glance.

"She's been like that all week," whispered Chigara, even though Asaga had left. "I can't help but to worry."

Kayto agreed; Asaga's behavior was disturbing, to say the least. "Don't worry, Chigara, I'll talk to her later and find out what's going on."


	24. Fontana's Stratagem

Kayto sprinted for the CIC, having been called by Ava on one of his off-hours. The PACT interlopers had continued to harass Alliance patrols, but Ava would not have summoned him merely for a PACT scout ship tiptoeing along their defense cordon; something was afoot.

The instant he stepped into the CIC, Kayto could feel the tension thick in the air. The entire CIC was abuzz with activity with crewmen manning their stations with grim determination and focus. Reports from numerous ships streamed in through the _Sunrider's_ communications suite and Ava worked furiously at the XO's station on the command dais, calling out orders and tapping at her screens so fast her hands seemed to blur.

"Captain, we have a situation," Ava said without looking up as he settled into his command station. "We've detected no fewer than two hundred warp signatures. Telemetry reads no registered transponders; it's a pirate fleet."

"Pirates?" Kayto arched an eyebrow. If what Ava was saying was true, it was the single largest organized pirate incursion in remembered history. "Hard to believe they've managed to stop killing each other long enough to organize into a fleet."

"Alliance intelligence is reporting the ships come from no fewer than fifteen known organized crime rings and syndicates operating from here to Far Port." Ava looked at the scans coming in from long range sensors and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Looks like that fleet's made of any hulker with a half working engine and cannon strapped to it."

"Red Alert, power all weapons." Kayto ordered with a frown. The pirate ships, although numerous, posed limited threat to the _Sunrider_ and the Alliance ships protecting Ongess. Pirates outfitted their ships to outrun authorities rather than face them head on. The Alliance vessels, with their vastly superior armor and weapons, could probably hold their own against the pirates three-to-one on a bad day. There had to be more to the situation than the obvious.

"Alert, PACT signatures inbound!" cried Ava as the crimson hulls of the PACT appeared out of warp beside the pirate fleet.

By PACT standards, the invasion fleet was small. Fewer than a fifty cruisers and only half a dozen battleships and carriers dropped out of warp. Suddenly, the presence of the pirate fleet made sense, if only to serve as cannon fodder for the true warships of the PACT. Kayto had been expecting the PACT to attempt the recapture of Ongess with a far more substantial fleet, but, perhaps the last engagement with the Alliance had given their fleets pause.

"We're being hailed, Captain," reported Ava. "It's the PACT flagship."

"Let's have it."

Veniczar Fontana's avatar appeared in the CIC, although Kayto saw that the mugshot Alliance intelligence had obtained of him did little justice to the man's appearance. He could almost have sworn that Ava and the other female crew on the CIC gave a tiny sigh at the sight of his silken locks and smoldering, intense eyes.

"Captain Shields." Fontana inclined his head a fraction of a degree, speaking in a soft and refined voice. "A pleasure to finally meet you. I am Veniczar B. Fontana of the Crimson Fleet. I've come to retrieve the Princess and end the Alliance occupation of Ongess." Fontana spoke as though the two were smoking cigars over brandy.

Kayto smirked, refusing to allow the other man's confidence and suaveness undermine his own conviction. "I'm afraid the wedding was annulled. Something about shooting the father-in-law dead at the ceremony. As for Ongess, if you're planning on liberating it the same way you 'liberate' the other worlds of the Neutral Rim..." Kayto left the rest for his glare to communicate.

"Unfortunate." Fontana whipped out his pocket watch and clicked it open, consulting its face with interest before snapping it shut. "It appears I will have no choice but to take both by force."

"Wait, wait," Kayto held up a hand mockingly. "I think I've heard that one before... that's right! Your friend was saying that right up until the Princess held a private pig roast on the bridge of his flagship. And you're coming at us with less than half of the ships he had; most of them pirate."

"Cullen was a mere fool and a stain to our cause," Fontana brushed Kayto's remarks aside as casually as the imaginary lint off his shoulder, bored. "His Imperial decadence made him weak-willed, careless, and cowardly. You will find my fleet to be quite different. Numbers are irrelevant where tactics are concerned."

"That's... my line," said Kayto with disappointment. Kayto made a mental note to approach the battle cautiously. Everything about Fontana so far had confirmed the intelligence dossier about him; he would likely do his best to keep Kayto and the Alliance off-footed during the battle.

"Heh," Fontana blew a stand of violet hair out of his face and put a hand on his hip, giving Kayto the smile of a stalking predator. "I admit I am eager to cross cannons with the Vanguard of Far Port. I hope you live up to the reputation, Captain."

With that, Fontana's avatar dissolved.

"Ava," Kayto snapped his fingers at his First Officer. "Hey, Ava!"

Ava jerked out of her glassy eyed trance. "Stop yelling, I'm right next to you!" she snapped back.

"Did you get enough of Veniczar Fabulous, or should I give him another call?" demanded Kayto as Ava turned pink.

"D-don't be ridiculous!" Ava crossed her arms and looked away as though his comment were beneath response.

"Put the situation on screen, give me a tactical update," ordered Kayto, annoyed.

"Aye Sir."

The main screen showed a tactical view of Ongess. Alliance forces were arranged in a circular defensive perimeter centered around their Ongessite depots and repair and resupply docks. Meanwhile, the PACT and pirate fleets had laid in converging courses for the Alliance lines in a classic spearhead maneuver. As the Alliance had spread its forces to maintain the perimeter, a coordinated attack on a focused area of the perimeter would give the PACT and pirate forces their best chance of a breach while minimizing the amount of firepower the Alliance could bring to bear without compromising the rest of the perimeter.

Once through, their target was obvious; the Ongessite depots would blow the Alliance Combined Fleet apart more effectively than a hundred ships in addition to denying them an important repair and resupply center for their continued operations in the Neutral Rim.

"Alliance Command is ordering all non-essential ships from the far side of the perimeter to reinforce our coordinates," reported Ava. "Even so, current projections show over half our ships won't be able to fire before the PACT and pirate fleets hit our lines."

Kayto nodded grimly. Although Fontana's forces were few, not counting the rag-tag pirate fleet, his strategy put the Alliance at a severe disadvantage, giving him full initiative in the fight. If even a dozen of his ships slipped past the Alliance lines, the damage they would inflict upon the Combined Fleet would be devastating. "We'll just have to hold out until reinforcements arrive then. All hands to battle stations, scramble our Ryders," he ordered.

"Enemy forces will enter our AO in two minutes," reported Ava as the tiny ships in the distance grew larger with each passing second, bright halos around their hulls signifying their engines' fierce burn. "Ryders launching now."

 _Sunrider's_ Ryders launched together, taking up positions around _Sunrider_ as the Alliance fleet waited for the PACT and their pirate allies to draw within firing range.

"Captain," Chigara's avatar appeared in the CIC with a look of concern on her face. "I'm detecting some strange readings coming from the PACT fleet..."

"What is it?" asked Kayto, wondering what kind of trick Fontana had up his sleeve.

Claude's avatar also appeared, serious for once. "I'm getting the same... wait a moment-" Claude and Chigara dissolved into static.

"-aptain... -work intrusion detected..." Chigara's avatar glitched, stuttering.

"Captain!" Ava looked up from her displays in shock. "The Alliance battlenet's in complete disorder; communications across all channels are being blocked."

"Initiate full ECM," ordered Kayto. "Don't let them interfere with our systems."

"Captain; I've secured a channel for local communications," Claude's avatar returned to life. "Chigara's working on shoring up the Alliance battlenet's defenses. I'll give her a hand in a moment."

"Good work," Kayto was impressed. Although Claude frequently seemed vacant and incompetent, it seemed times of duress brought out an entirely different side of the woman. "Can you trace the origin of the hack?"

"The attack's happening on multiple fronts simultaneously," answered Claude, typing furiously at Bianca's controls. "I'll have to track down each intrusion individually."

"Do it," ordered Kayto. "Sola, come in."

"Seraphim, reporting," Sola appeared beside Claude.

"Bianca will feed the Seraphim targeting data," explained Kayto. "I need you to take out whoever's trying to hack our network."

"Confirmed, acquiring target now." Seraphim linked to the _Sunrider_ , allowing the main screen to project a view based on her sensors.

Ancient Ryuvian symbols scrolled in arcane text over Sola's display, gibberish to Kayto, but likely conveying all manner of information for its pilot to enhance her already formidable sniper abilities. The view magnified as Sola zoomed in on the coordinates Bianca had extracted from the digital war engulfing the fleet invisibly.

"It's a Ryder!" Ava looked at the PACT unit in surprise. The red Ryder was thin with knife-like appendages and an utter lack of armor or weaponry. Two large rings, however, spread out like wings from its back, broadcasting powerfully to interfere with and hack into enemy electronic systems. Although Ryders capable of engaging in such electronic warfare were not, in of themselves, a novel concept, case in point Liberty and Bianca, the prohibitive cost of manufacture and skills required to operate them were such that no major navy fielded such units en masse. Apparently, the PACT had found a way to cut down on manufacturing and training costs, likely accepting the reduced efficiency in exchange for sheer weight of attack.

A moment later, Seraphim's long range weapon discharged, nailing the PACT support unit head on and shattering the fragile Ryder and its broadcast rings into a hundred pieces on impact.

"Target neutralized." Sola's voice betrayed not a hint of smugness despite the fact her shot had landed on a nimble Ryder half a light second away.

"Give any coordinates Bianca sends you priority," ordered Kayto. "Black Jack, Phoenix, Paladin, let's get the show started."

 _Sunrider_ gunned forward with her three combat Ryders, Saviors belching fire as they targeted the oncoming enemy ships. The pirate fleet threw itself towards the Alliance fleet and _Sunrider_ as a disorganized horde, crashing over their lines and swarming angrily in front of the slower PACT fleet. Some pirate ships even pulled alongside Alliance ships, firing tow cables and other equipment to initiate hard docks for boarding. Although individual pirate ships and Ryders were no match for the Alliance ships, the chaos created by their frenzied attack in conjunction with the attack on their battlenet gave the PACT fleet the perfect cover as they advanced slowly. Kayto watched grimly as three pirate space whalers fired harpoons into an Alliance cruiser, literally shredding and pulling it apart before the rest of the Alliance squadron blew the deplorable ships away with kinetic cannons and missiles.

"Contact all local assets," he ordered Ava. "Inform their captains that the PACT fleet is the priority target. Move us to intercept the nearest PACT battlegroup."

"Aye, Captain, course laid," answered Ava.

 _Sunrider_ pushed ahead with its Ryder wing towards a knot of PACT cruisers escorting a battleship and carrier as they tried to sneak past Alliance lines. Kayto bristled as he watched the PACT battleship fire its powerful spinal guns into an Alliance cruiser, sinking the unfortunate ship with a single salvo. Two pirate ironhogs closed ranks in front of the _Sunrider_ , pointing gleaming harpoons and missile racks at them.

"Ava, get those whalers out of our line of fire," ordered Kayto, voice cold.

"With pleasure, Sir." Ava tapped her screens. "Arm Trinity laser banks, fire as soon as we have a targeting solution!"

A moment later, _Sunrider's_ Trinities cut bright blue swaths across space, melting into the pirate hulls and slicing their ships to pieces. With almost insulting ease, _Sunrider_ pushed past the still glowing hull fragments towards the PACT battleship.

"Fire Saviors!" barked Kayto as _Sunrider_ reverberated with the discharges. "Arm all missile pods and get me a firing solution for the carrier!"

Outside, Asaga and Icari rocketed across the battlefield, shooting down and hacking apart any PACT mook foolish enough to even consider making an approach on _Sunrider_. Paladin's shoulder cannons discharged repeatedly, firing into the PACT battleship's lateral side to devastating effect, punching holes into its armor almost as large as _Sunrider's_ Savior slugs did.

"Captain." Sola reappeared in the CIC, utterly calm despite the raging fight around them. "PACT targets neutralized."

"Communications are clearing, Captain!" reported Chigara, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead from the frantic defense of their electronic network from the PACT support Ryders. "I detect no additional intrusion attempts!"

"Warning!" Ava shouted as the PACT battleship finally succumbed to _Sunrider_ and Paladin's attack. "PACT carrier is launching additional Ryders into the AO!"

Kayto watched as two PACT Ryders mounted up onto their respective launch platforms on the carrier, engines burning bright blue as they accelerated down the runway with the ship's assistance. "Slew us about, maximum rate! Bring our Saviors to bear!"

Twin balls of light flashed on _Sunrider's_ main screen as Sola fired twice at the carrier. Kayto watched in astonishment as the twin explosions blasted up from the carrier's launching platform. Sola had managed to correct for not only the motion of her Ryder and the carrier, but also for the launching PACT Ryders, blowing the launching apparatus apart under their feet and causing both Ryders to crash catastrophically. To say those were impressive shots would have been almost insulting to the skill and grace Sola had shown herself capable of.

"Don't waste the opportunity!" ordered Kayto as PACT drones swarmed across the launch platform to clear the debris for another emergency launch. "Target that carrier with everything we've got!"

Lasers cut through space ahead of the slower kinetic slugs and missiles launching from _Sunrider_ , crackling against the carrier's shields before scoring deep rends in her armor. The slugs came next, slamming into the carrier's thin hull and blasting apart its lateral hull. From within, Kayto saw dozens of PACT Ryders fall into space as the Savior slugs flew into their hangers, blowing up their docking berths on impact. Streaking through what remained of the carrier's flak capacity, _Sunrider's_ Hell Darts flew straight into the hull breaches created by the other attacks, igniting the carrier from within. Flames blasted out from the launch bay and a dozen other weak points in the hull as the PACT carrier listed starboard, a flaming wreck of its former self.

"Alliance ships incoming!" announced Ava as the reinforcements from the far side of the defense perimeter drew into attack range.

"Upload targeting data, now!" barked Kayto.

Moments later, the fresh Alliance forces fired their kinetic guns like a line of militiamen. Dozens of remaining PACT and pirate ships were torn apart by the armor piercing rounds, venting atmosphere and fire as they sank. The PACT fleet staggered under the brutal assault, unable to continue their advance under such heavy fire. PACT cruisers were torn apart as their defensive line crumpled, exposing their capital ships to similar fire. The remnants of Fontana's small battleship and carrier group began to reverse thrust as they came under fire from all sides; the entire spearhead formation blunting and spreading out, rebuffed by the Alliance lines. Eagerly, the Alliance fleet began to scatter as they made to rout and pursue Fontana's broken fleet.

"Hail the PACT flagship now," ordered Kayto, watching the pirate forces scattering in the wake of the Alliance push, panicked by the Alliance offensive and the stymied PACT advance. "Fontana!"

Fontana appeared, apparently not the least bit concerned at the failed attack.

"Even you can't turn the tide of this battle," Kayto tried not to sound like he was gloating. "Why don't you use your 'tactics' and perform a tactical retreat back to New Eden while you still have some ships left?"

"You overestimate yourself, Captain," Fontana gave him a cold smile. "You have quite an interesting vessel, very formidable. I believe it was instrumental to your victory at Far Port, was it not?"

"Captain!" Ava's eyes widened. "Additional warp signatures detected at close range! It's not a signature that matches any profile in the database..."

"An assault carrier..." Fontana said, caressing the idea with his voice. "Swift as a battlecruiser, powerful as a battleship, complemented by Ryders like a carrier. Capable of lightning strikes and long range operations. I must admit, I am impressed that a single neutral world was capable of producing a ship like that; but do not think for an instant Cera was the first to conceive of such a vessel."

Kayto watched in astonishment as space teased apart and a new PACT vessel, unlike any he'd encountered previously emerged from the folds of warp. The ship was almost twice as large as the _Sunrider_ , triangular in profile with a prow sharp enough to cut through steel. The entire vessel resembled a boat for planetary ocean sailing. Line after line of missile pods and flak turrets studded the ship's hull and powerful deck guns completed the ship's armaments, pointing menacingly towards the Alliance fleet. Unlike standard PACT carriers, the new ship lacked any apparent launch ramps. As armored plating began to slide back, however, Kayto realized the new PACT carrier even shared the _Sunrider's_ Ryder launch philosophy, exposing half a dozen internalized launch tubes.

"I don't believe it..." Ava also sounded awed. "Apart from the Vanguard Cannon, it's as though they've copied the _Sunrider_..."

Kayto swallowed. "A single knock off of our ship won't save you Fontana!"

"Indeed," Fontana gave a tight and infuriating smile. "The greatest flaw in your world's military capacity was not ingenuity, but rather a lack of scale. If a single prototype warship could change a battle's outcome so dramatically, imagine what a whole fleet could do. Behold, the fruit of years of naval modernization!" Dozens of additional rends in the fabric of space appeared, allowing an equal number of identical ships to pour through into the battle. "The most advanced fleet in the entire PACT navy, built with the resources and sacrifice of all the worlds of the People's Alliance!"

Kayto gasped as an entire fleet of assault carriers appeared, pushing past the scrambling and retreating pirate forces. Nearly a hundred fresh Ryders poured out of the PACT assault carriers simultaneously. Even those seemed to have been upgraded; the new PACT Ryders had additional stabilization fins and mounted powerful engines, oversized shoulder autocannons, and a wide-bore laser rifle glowing with energy. As their armored plating slide aside, Kayto also saw the Ryders had been outfitted with internalized missile pods. Together, the new Ryders nimbly joined the fray ahead of the assault cruisers with a speed far surpassing that of the standard PACT Ryder. Helplessly, Kayto watched as entire Alliance Ryder wings were annihilated by the formidable PACT Ryders in a head-to-head attack, unable to cope with the radically improved PACT Ryders. To make matters worse, the assault carriers opened fire with their deck guns, smashing into the forward Alliance battlegroups with devastating effect.

"This is the end for you, Captain." Fontana's eyes seemed to glow with delight before disappearing once again.

"Captain, the initial fleet was merely a decoy!" Ava scrambled to update their tactical situation. "Alliance forces pursuing the pirates have been annihilated! Alliance Command is ordering all ships to regroup and hold the line!"

"Damn!" Kayto gritted his teeth. "Rally any local Alliance ships to us. Re-arm our missile tubes and get ready to re-engage!"

"Aye, Captain." Ava took a deep, steadying breath. "Nearest PACT assault carrier will enter weapons range in thirty seconds."

"Asaga, what's our status out there?" asked Kayto as he watched _Sunrider's_ Ryders streak across the main screen trailing boogies.

"These guys sure are tough..." Asaga grumbled through gritted teeth as she threw Black Jack in reverse, giving the PACT elite behind her the slip and turning the tables on its pilot. In one smooth movement, she sliced into its back with her melee weapons, cleaving the Ryder apart.

Moments later, Phoenix blasted over Black Jack, chasing after another PACT Ryder, guns blazing. "Fast too..."

"Keep them off us," ordered Kayto. "We're going to focus on the assault carriers."

"Roger that, Capt'n, we're trying," answered Asaga grimly.

"Assault carrier in range!" announced Ava as the PACT ship loomed on the main screen. "Incoming weapons fire!"

"Return fire! Take evasive action!" Kayto shouted. _Sunrider's_ engines heaved, throwing everyone in the CIC starboard as she tried to maneuver. The entire ship shook as their Savior cannons fired and shots from the PACT ship connected.

"Kinetic impacts on C-deck!" screamed Ava as alarms started wailing. "Multiple missile breaches in sections eight through twelve. Hull integrity at seventy percent! Damage control struggling to contain the damage!"

"Initiate a ten degree per second roll starboard! Fire all missiles, point blank!" answered Kayto, grunting as additional vibrations shook his ship, hoping to spread the damage over a greater surface area of the _Sunrider's_ hull rather than expose any of the _Sunrider's_ wounds to a second hit. On his monitors, multiple damage reports streamed in from the ship's nervous system, showing entire sections of the ship in blinking red, indicating non-functionality in a sea of yellow. Only a handful of compartments remained undamaged.

As _Sunrider_ and the PACT vessel glided past one another, they continued to trade fire, pounding into each other's hulls and tearing into each other's armored sides. Pod after pod of Hell Darts blasted loose from _Sunrider's_ hull, rocketing straight into the PACT carrier before its flak cannons could even respond. Outgoing fire from the PACT ship slackened as the missiles detonated, slagging hull turrets and severing essential data trunks running up and down the ship. Pressing her advantage, _Sunrider's_ weapons continued to discharge, digging into its wounded side and gouging punishing holes through its internal decks and structures. Unable to withstand the attack, the PACT assault carrier finally cracked, breaking along its weakened hull and shearing apart under the stress of its own acceleration.

Kayto breathed a sigh of relief. _Sunrider's_ triumph over the enemy vessel had not been as much due to skill as it was luck; simply more of _Sunrider's_ missiles had connected with vital ship components than their opponent's had.

"Captain," Ava's face was pale with the close call. "Another fight like that might be our last; recommend we retreat behind Alliance lines and provide support from the rear."

"What's the fleet's status?" asked Kayto.

"Sir, the entire defense fleet is engaged. The Alliance fleet's taken substantial losses, but reinforcements are continuing to fill the holes in our line." Ava surveyed the battle with a grim look on her face. "They must be trying to overwhelm the assault carrier fleet by sheer number."

"And the PACT fleet?" asked Kayto.

"They're strung out along the entire front and engaging multiple ships simultaneously," Ava put the tactical display up on the main screen. "Scans show moderate damage to their structures, but so far, nothing to stop them from fighting."

Kayto absorbed the facts with a frown. As it stood, the PACT ships were far too likely to break through the weakening Alliance lines. For every ship the assault carriers sunk, Alliance morale dropped and it would only be a matter of time before the fleet was routed by Fontana's new weapons. There was no choice except to play _Sunrider's_ trump card.

"Prepare for pin-point, short range warp," ordered Kayto. "Power the Vangaurd Cannon."

"Sir!?" Ava's eyes were wide.

"The fleet's on the verge of route," Kayto said, stabbing a finger at the tactical display. "If the Alliance line breaks and they get close enough to hit the Ongessite, we'll all be blown back to Far Port. Those ships might be tough like the _Sunrider_ , but they've got nothing on the Vangaurd Cannon. Time to give the Alliance a hand."

"A short range warp will leave us behind enemy lines," protested Ava. "With the damage we've sustained, the chances of us surviving long enough to warp out are unacceptable."

"Let's hope you're wrong, Commander." Kayto set his face with determination. "You have your orders."

"Aye, Captain." Ava punched the commands into her station without further hesitation, accepting the chain of command.

"All hands, prepare for short range warp on my mark!" Kayto announced.

"Engineering reports ready, Vanguard charged!" reported Ava.

"Mark!"

 _Sunrider_ blinked out of existence for a moment and reappeared half a second later behind the PACT Ryder screen. Perpendicular to the PACT battleline, Kayto looked down the end of the _Sunrider's_ Vanguard Cannon at their targets. Slowly, several of the PACT assault carriers slewed uncertainly, caught off guard by the _Sunrider's_ sudden and unexpected appearance. Too late, some of them began emergency maneuvers to avoid _Sunrider's_ firing arc.

"Fire Vanguard!" shouted Kayto.

Brilliant red light spilled onto the main screen as _Sunrider's_ Vanguard Cannon discharged its full strength against the PACT ships. Boiling plasma lanced forward in an eye blink, smashing into the PACT assault carriers with devastating force. The nearest carrier took the worse of it, reeling with the impact momentarily before the entire forward half of the ship flashed into vapor. The Vanguard shot continued forward, boring into additional carriers caught in its path and melting through layer after layer of armor. Slewing, _Sunrider_ swept her beam to maximize the number of ships caught in the wake of the Vanguard cannon before exhausting her plasma supply.

On screen, the devastating results of their fire were clear. Four PACT assault carriers had been gravely wounded, the Vanguard Cannon having drilled ragged holes from one lateral hull to the other. Fires burned on their internal decks as the ship's crew struggled to regain control over their damaged vessels. Emboldened, the Alliance forces pressed the advantage before the PACT ships could regain their footing, pummeling them with barrage after barrage of kinetic slugs and missiles aimed for the new weak points in their hull.

"Alert!" Ava's voice cut through the moment of triumph, bringing him back to reality. "PACT Ryders inbound!"

A wall of PACT Ryders converged on _Sunrider_ , intent on exacting revenge for the devastating attack while _Sunrider's_ systems were still in the process of recovering from the massive energy expenditure of firing their Vanguard Cannon.

"Tsch..." Kayto gritted his teeth, knowing their options were limited against the inbound Elites. "Rally our Ryders, divert all available power to warp drives; get us to the fallback coordinates as soon as our capacitors are charged!"

"We'll need at least two minutes for full charge," answered Ava grimly.

Two minutes was too long; enough time for the PACT Elites to turn _Sunrider_ into scrap metal.

"Incoming transmission!" Ava cried out. "It's the _Adamantine_!"

"Captain, I commend you for your crew's bravery." Grey's avatar appeared, his eyes hard. "Allow my fleet to return the favor."

Kayto watched, impressed, as the Admiral's flagship, a massive _Machiavelli_ -class battleship, plowed through the PACT Ryder formation, scattering them in its wake with a hailstorm of flak and missile fire. Under its cover, four Alliance cruisers charged forward, engines at maximum, adding their own fire as they passed and took escort positions around the damaged _Sunrider_.

"Admiral," Kayto inclined his head gratefully. "My thanks for another timely rescue..."

As the Admiral's flagship drew up to the _Sunrider_ , it fired from its axial gun, slamming one of the remaining assault carriers with one of the largest and heaviest hitting guns produced in the galaxy.

"All ships in our local AO sunk," reported Ava. "Fontana's remaining ships are still engaged with over half of the Alliance fleet, but the remaining ships can now begin to flank and encircle his fleet."

"Fontana!" Kayto hailed his adversary's flagship. "It's over! Even your new toys aren't a match for us. Surrender now while you still have some ships left!"

"No." Fontana's avatar gave Kayto a disappointed sigh. "It is our victory."

"Excuse me?" Kayto demanded.

"Heh-heh-heh..." Another all too familiar voice joined the communications line. "Did you forget about me already, Captain?"

"Cosette!" Kayto gripped his chair's arm with a sweaty palm.

"Alert!" Ava's cool professionalism began to crack at the edges. "New pirate signatures detected!"

"What!?" Kayto was completely thrown. Did the pirate fleet come back for a second round? "Where?"

"From the Ongess habitation stations!" Ava projected a long range view of the situation on the main screen. "Enemy Ryders are flooding out of the orbital habitats! They must have been laying low this whole time. They're after the Ongessite tanks!"

Kayto's blood ran cold as the main screen showed dozens of Ryders laden with missile pods burning towards the practically unguarded repair and refueling stations the Alliance had set up for the Combined Fleet. What few ships were left behind from the main engagement were quickly overwhelmed and overrun as Cosette's pirates blasted them into oblivion.

"Fontana and the pirate fleets were just decoys!" Cosette pointed at Kayto with the cold delight of revenge. "Now the Combined Fleet are a bunch of sitting ducks!"

"Fall back!" barked Kayto. "All ships fall back and intercept Cosette's forces! We need to defend those docks at all costs!"

"Negative!" Ava punched at her controls desperately. "The fleet's still entangled with Fontana's fleets. We'll never make it! Simulating damage report now!"

Kayto watched in horror as the simulations of the Ongessite tank detonations projected. Hundreds of ships in the Alliance Combined Fleet, both active and inactive, were well within the blast radius that would be created from the Ongessite detonation, hemmed in by Fontana's fleet which now clearly only had to keep the Alliance ships from retreating.

"Hahahaha..." Fontana's quiet chuckling struck fear into Kayto's heart as nothing else had. "How disappointing Captain... outmaneuvered so easily. I admit I had rather expected more from the victor of Far Port." Fontana leaned in, cyan eyes smoldering with conviction. "In one fell swoop, every Alliance ship of the Combined Fleet will be cast into the hell fire of the very Ongessite they sought to steal from Ongess. Poetic justice, is it not? A fitting end to their imperialist ambitions for the Neutral Rim! Just as the Imperials before them, the Alliance will fall not to cannons, but to the fruit of their own greed. Their systematic exploitation of the poor and weak is a cancer that will consume their very body, a disease I will cleanse with fire. Behold, Captain! I, Veniczar B. Fontana end the age of imperialism today and bring about a new galactic order!"

"Ongessite tanks in range, targets locked." Cosette's voice dripped with anticipation. "This is for you, Captain. You were always my favorite... ehehehe... HAHAHA!"

Kayto could only watch as the Pirate Ryders let loose with their missiles, white vapor trails streaking towards the vulnerable Ongessite tanks with deliberate and inevitable arcs. The main screen whited out with the force of the explosion. Entire docks with up to three Alliance cruisers apiece were swallowed in the firestorm created by detonating Ongessite reserves. Battleships, carriers, cruisers, and Ryders burned alike as the fierce explosion billowed outwards, consuming everything in its path.

"Captain!" Ava gasped. "The Combined Fleet is being sunk! Catastrophic losses are being reported! Pirate Ryders are reloading and preparing for a second salvo!"

Shrapnel and entire ship hulls flew out from the explosion's epicenter, impacting on the rear of the Alliance lines and sinking nearly as many ships as the initial explosions had. Entire starships were rammed through and gutted by jagged metal plating from their own sister ships. Escape pods began ejecting from the crippled Alliance ships while others simply detonated, adding to the devastation.

"FONTANAAA!" Kayto's fists clenched in anguish as he watched the tens of thousands of Alliance soldiers and sailors die around him helplessly in a sea of burning Ongessite.

"It is over, Captain." Fontana's voice was calm and assured. "The Alliance fleet is lost. Your ship will be seized and the Princess returned to Arcadius. As for you... I will see to it that you stand trial for your crimes against humanity. Cosmos tells me that you are directly responsible for a number of civilian deaths on Ongess."

"No." The Admiral's gruff voice announced his presence. Back straight with fury in his eyes, mirroring the hell fires which consumed his fleet, the Admiral radiated a furious energy. "We're not done yet."

"So, the great Admiral Grey of the Emerald Fleet deigns to speak." Fontana's voice dripped with condescension he had not even shown Kayto. "Have you come to discuss the terms of your surrender, Imperial?"

"You little punk." Grey's voice was deadly. "Don't think you're the first commander to raise a sword against me, thinking he's won. You damn schoolboy; you think a clever answer or strategy is all that you need for victory. You have no idea what war is, let alone even to have the stomach for it."

Fontana flushed, but continued to look defiant.

"Sit down boy, and let me show you _War_!" Grey motioned for someone off camera. "This is Admiral Grey. Execute contingency plan Obsidian. Authentication Tango Three Theta!"

"Captain!" Ava's voice was shocked. "I'm detecting multiple radiation signatures from all remaining Alliance ships in the Combined Fleet!"

"I've just ordered every ship in the fleet to arm their nuclear warheads and target Ongess and the orbital habitats." Admiral Grey stared straight into Fontana, whose eyes betrayed a flicker of disquiet. "My terms are simple. Tell your pirate friend to turn tail and scurry back to whatever rat hole she crawled out of. Then, take your ships back to New Eden. Shore up your defenses as best you can; you'll need them to escape my wrath for what you've done here today. And if not... I'll drop enough nukes on and over Ongess to make the entire planet glow brighter than the sun for the next millennia."

The blood drained from Fontana's face. "You cannot be serious, Admiral..." Fontana swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "Even a man of the Alliance would not murder forty billion civilians in cold blood."

Admiral Grey's face did not budge a millimeter from the ugly expression that suggested he would do just that without a second's hesitation. "Try me, boy."

"Tsch..." Fontana's expression was uncertain.

"Don't listen to him!" Cosette screamed on the comms. "He's bluffing! We can wipe out the entire Alliance fleet here and now!"

"You have the count of three to withdraw your forces," growled the Admiral.

"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Cosette shrieked, hair in her face like a mad woman. "He's too much of a coward to fire!"

Fontana's confidence, all but unshakable a moment ago was crumbling with each passing moment.

"One..."

"FONTANAAAA!" Cosette pounded her fists on her Ryder in frustration. "All their ships are gathered here! We'll never get another chance! We can end the Alliance military supremacy in fifteen seconds! As soon as my Ryders reload, we'll end the Alliance and usher in a new era!"

"TWO!"

"We can end it!" Cosette kept screaming desperately. "Just give us ten more seconds! We can do this! INDEPENDENCE OR DEATH!"

"ADMIRAL!" Kayto shouted, leaping to his feet as he saw the Admiral raise his hand to signal the order. "Stop this madness, now! Nothing is worth the lives of those innocents!"

His words had no effect on the Admiral, whose pitiless resolve remained firm as ever, but Fontana recoiled as though shot.

"All ships, hold fire!" he barked, making a cutting motion with his arm to one of his crew.

Immediately, the remaining PACT fleet ceased their attack, the battlefield finally quieting with an uneasy standoff between the ships of the Alliance and PACT. Without hesitation, the surviving Alliance ships and Ryders peeled off and shot off towards the flaming docks to engage Cosette's pirates.

"All units, warp to fallback coordinates immediately," Fontana's voice burned with anger and hatred as he glared at the Admiral. "Cosmos. Withdraw your forces."

"You COWARD!" Cosette's scream was one of pure anguish.

Upon seeing the PACT fleet's retreat back to warp and the dozens of Alliance ships roaring towards them, the deep seated survival instincts of Cosette's rag-tag forces kicked in. Scattering in all directions, Cosette's pirates dispersed like motes of dust in sunlight, breaking rank and fleeing for the safety of their orbital docks without a second look back.

"A victory at the cost of Ongess is no victory at all." Fontana breathed hard, swallowing against the revulsion and nausea he felt. "It would be a catastrophic defeat for the People... we've hurt the Alliance enough for now. We will reserve our forces for another opportunity."

"Another opportunity like this won't come!" shouted Cosette, her Havok now alone save for a handful of diehard believers.

"Enough." Fontana's tone stiffened, allowing no further debate on the matter. "If you truly care about the plight of your people, Cosmos, pull your men out."

"ARRGHH!" Cosette's look could have killed a man through a foot of steel. "FUCK YOU FONTANA!" Chest heaving, she signaled for her Ryders to join the flight. "As for you, Captain..." Cosette spat as the Havok pulled away as well. "You'll regret ever throwing your lot in with the Alliance! They'll plant their flag on every damn world in the Neutral Rim, sucking them dry to fatten Solaris. You think you're doing the right thing and winning this war... but wait until the day the Alliance shoves a knife in your back. Then... then you'll realize what you've done today..."

A profound sadness seemed to enter the pirate's eyes as she held his gaze for one last moment before cutting the communications, fleeing back to the orbital habitats as the last of the PACT ships withdrew.

Kayto let out the breath he felt like he'd been holding for the last ten minutes. "Stand down Red Alert and recover our Ryders," he ordered wearily. "Cease all combat operations and prepare to assist with recovery of survivors. Alert medical to receive wounded." Dropping into his chair, shaking, Kayto tried to hold himself together. "What's the status of the fleet?"

"Substantial damage to Alliance docks," answered Ava, skimming the damage report, dazed. "Uncontrolled Ongessite leaks from forty percent of remaining depots. Altogether, an estimated loss of one hundred forty cruisers, twenty five battleships, and a dozen carriers."

"That's nearly forty percent of the fleet..." Kayto's voice was stunned by the enormity of the damage and death which surrounded the _Sunrider._

"This attack was grave, but we have avoided the worse of it," Grey's voice was terse and tight. "The fleet will regroup and reorganize; more ships are due in for reinforcements from the core worlds in days. Fear not, Captain. This attack changes nothing; we will continue to push into PACT occupied territory as planned. I believe Cera is not far now, is it?"

Kayto took a deep breath. "No. No it isn't..."

"Then we had best get to work." The Admiral nodded and killed the communications channel, leaving Kayto with nothing but the sight of destruction and death all around.

* * *

For the last several hours, _Sunrider_ joined the rest of the Combined Fleet in retrieving escape pods from sunken ships and providing assistance to the myriads of disabled ships on the battlefield. Just about every available Ryder was also engaged in search and rescue missions, sniffing out any survivors holding out among the hundreds of wrecked ships. It was essential, but not terribly difficult work; ideally, he should be taking advantage of the lull to rest after the day's arduous events. Unfortunately, for the last half hour, Kayto had been pacing his office, unable to relax even after he and Ava had been relieved in the CIC by the backup crew.

"Captain." Ava stepped into his quarters from behind him without ringing, apparently also finding it difficult to rest after the day's events. "Word of the battle has just hit the holonets."

"I see..." Kayto turned to look at Ava. "What's the response?"

"Virtually every Progress Party affiliated news agency is calling the occupation of Ongess a massacre of Alliance personnel and Ongess civilians alike. The numbers vary between sources, but most of the reliable news outlets are reporting between three hundred to fifteen hundred civilian casualties in the last battle."

Kayto was not surprised by the Progress Party's use of the battle as additional political firepower against the Admiral's candidacy. Although the number of civilian deaths paled compared to the number of Alliance personnel who had been killed in action, Kayto knew that the number made for a powerful and discrediting headline.

"It might interest you to know that the latest opinion poll published by All Alliance News shows Admiral Grey lost 4 points of approval in a matter of hours." Ava showed him the relevant report on her holo. "He now trails the Progress Party candidate, Frandall, by three points."

"It's all reactionary," said Kayto wearily. "Those numbers don't mean much until the actual election."

"True." Ava gave him a shadow of a smile, engaged by the political discussion. "The Progress Party has also introduced a new bill to the Solar Congress calling for the immediate withdrawal of all Alliance ships from Ongess. It doesn't have a chance of passing right now, of course, but the Progress Party wants to send a message. They've also vowed to bring legal challenges against Grey in the Solar Court if he's elected to presidency."

Kayto stayed silent, lost in thought.

"Are you alright, Captain?" asked Ava, looking at the haggard look on his face with some modicum of concern.

"Do you..." Kayto hesitated. "Do you suppose Cosette's right?"

Ava crossed her arms firmly. "Captain, Cosette is a madwoman and criminal. Please don't tell me you're taking her position seriously?"

"A madwoman?" Kayto squared his jaw. "What does that make the Admiral? I nearly watched that man glass an entire planet and over thirty billion civilians today. We can call ourselves heroes or liberators, we can point all we want to the fact that the PACT are aggressors and that we didn't start the war. But after today... we're no better than Arcadius."

"Captain," Ava shook her head. "Threatening the use of force and actually using it are two things very different things. A threat coupled with the capacity to act on the threat is merely a diplomatic tool. Every civilized government in this galaxy recognizes the use of threats as a means to achieve policy without bloodshed. The Admiral violated no laws or morals simply through his use of words."

"It's a very fine line between the two, Ava." Kayto tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "Humanity has shown, over and over again, that it cannot appreciate the distinction. I'm not even sure there is one. What else will we be forced to do? How will we even know if we've crossed the line?"

"This is war," Ava's voice was hard and cold. "It's us or them."

Saying nothing, Kayto merely turned away to stare at the holoscreen on his far wall, watching as the burned out husks of sunken ships drifted past grimly. He felt the brush of Ava's fingers on his sleeve as she reached out for his shoulder for a moment before thinking twice and dropping her arm.

"Captain... Kayto," Ava's arm fell limply to her side. "You need to get some rest."

Sighing and nodding, Kayto indicated he'd heard her as she turned and walked out. Losing track of time, he stared out the holoscreen at the ongoing search and rescue, lost in half formed thoughts.

* * *

"Captain?" Chigara's timid voice called out as she entered his quarters, carrying a tray of food. "You weren't at dinner so..." Chigara caught sight of his shell-shocked face. "Oh Captain..." She put the food down on his desk and came to his side.

Wordlessly, the two looked to the view together, Chigara periodically darting looks back at him.

"Come," she gently nudged him. "You need some tea." Tenderly, she took his arm and led him down to his living space. "Sit," she instructed firmly.

Kayto watched as she busied herself with his tea set, her mauve hair framing her face as she stood over the tea. Seeing the tender expression on her face as she prepared their tea, Kayto felt himself ground slowly once again, almost overcome by a sudden wall of exhaustion.

"Here you go, Captain," Chigara pressed a cup of tea into his hands, settling across from him.

Kayto sipped the hot tea, feeling life surge back into his numb body. "Thanks, Chigara."

Chigara smiled, equal parts happy and sad. "Do you want to talk?"

"Did I-?" Kayto paused, looking down at his tea. "Did I let the crew down, Chigara?"

"What do you mean?" Chigara looked taken aback.

"He outmaneuvered me..." Kayto felt crushing disappointment press down on his shoulders. "Fontana... he's a foe deadlier than anyone we've encountered before. He predicted every one of our moves before the battle even began. By all rights... we shouldn't even be alive right now. We got lucky this time... but what will happen next time?"

"Next time, you'll be ready." Chigara spoke with quiet confidence. "He had the benefit of surprise this time. He won't ever be able to do that again now."

Kayto fingered the rim of his teacup, hoping with every last ounce of strength he had left that she was right.

Minutes slipped away as the two sipped their tea in silence.

"Chigara?"

"Hm?"

"Why does war turn good men into monsters?" Kayto sighed heavily. "Fontana... he's a good man. Grey's no murderer either. And yet... this war and the lives of those they command have forced them to make decisions they would never had ordinarily made. The Admiral nearly glassed forty billion human beings today. Fontana's fleets have murdered millions in their conquest of the Neutral Rim. Neither of them would stand for that kind of death and destruction if they had a choice."

"That's what separates leaders from followers, Captain." Chigara set her tea down and walked over to his side, sitting beside him. "You bear that weight on your own shoulders so that we don't have to. Whatever you decide... I know it'll be for the greater good." Chigara cupped his face with her hand, turning pink but looking determined all the same. "You will always be my hero, Captain."

Kayto closed his eyes, feeling her soft, small hand caress his cheek before dropping down to hold his arm. "Heh... I'm sorry to disappoint."

"You never disappoint, Captain." Chigara muttered, leaning her head against his shoulder. "No matter what happens... I'll be there for you."

Kayto put his arm around Chigara in an embrace, drawing her close as she closed her own eyes and rested against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. Eyes still closed, Kayto breathed deeply, the sweet and comforting scent of her hair filling his senses and shielding his heart from the darkness closing in from all sides.

"This will be over soon," he muttered into her hair, holding her close. "Once Cera is free... we'll lay down our weapons. Then, maybe, we'll start that bakery of yours."

"Eh-heh..." Chigara sounded too tired to be properly embarrassed. "You're making me blush, Captain..."

Kayto gave a tiny chuckle as he felt Chigara's warmth filled him and eased his doubts away. Peace stole over him at last and the world faded away.

* * *

"Kayto..."

Kyoko's blank, staring eyes bored into him lifelessly. Blood dripped from her wounds, glistening and wet.

Kayto's breath caught. He couldn't breathe. Panic and pressure mounted.

"You killed me."

Kyoko's hair turned white and short and her eyes faded to the palest blue. Kayto found himself staring at his sister. Blood stained her clothes and poured from the same wounds Kyoko had borne.

"No..." Kayto gasped, suffocating and drowning in his own guilt and remorse. "No..."

"You killed all of us..." Maray looked at him with a profound sadness and disappointment.

"Maray... MARAY!"

Kayto bolted awake, still sitting on his sofa, cold sweat dripping down his face and soaking his uniform. Evidently both he and Chigara had fallen asleep sitting beside one another. Eyes wide, Chigara pushed off of him. "C-Captain?" she asked, voice muffled with sleep.

Kayto got up and stumbled to his washroom, splashing cold water over his face at the sink. Panting hard, he wrenched a towel off its rack and patted his face dry, staring into the mirror at his pale face and wide eyes.

"Captain?" Chigara stood at the door frame tentatively. "Is everything alright?"

"I-I'm fine..." Kayto took a deep, steadying breath. It was a nightmare, nothing more. He had not killed Kyoko... he had not killed Maray. "Just a dream..."

Chigara looked at him uncertainly for a moment before nodding. "I'd better get back to the crew quarters then..."

Kayto eyed his bracelet; it was almost 0300.

Chigara turned pink. "I-I don't want the others to... I hope no one sees..." she muttered, embarrassed. "Ah... good night Captain!"

"Good night, Chigara." Kayto watched as Chigara beat a hasty retreat from his quarters, giving him one last sheepish look before leaving.

Knowing sleep would be an exercise in futility, Kayto peeled off his sodden uniform and stepped into the shower, letting cold water pour over his hair and down his body, wishing the shower could wash more than just the sweat from his body.

" _Captain!"_

" _Your orders Captain!?"_

" _What do we do Captain!?"_

A cacophony of voices shouted at him, merging indistinguishably into an incomprehensible roar.

"I don't know!" Kayto gasped, punching the wall of the shower, pain flaring in his knuckles. "I DON'T KNOW!"


	25. Memories

Kayto sat alone in the _Sunrider's_ mess hall, a steaming cup of coffee next to his holo, putting together a report of _Sunrider's_ latest mission for the ship's logs. The Mining Union had contracted the services of the _Sunrider_ , ostensibly for the escort of a civilian freighter carrying "Ryder and starship parts." Kayto had accepted the job, anticipating a boring, uneventful mission that would give him and his crew time to recover from the events at Ongess. Unfortunately, the job had gone FUBAR, trapping the _Sunrider_ and her crew between the freighter and an entire PACT fleet determined to stop it. Battleships, cruisers, carriers, and even assault carriers had thrown themselves into the fray with dozens of Ryders, coming at _Sunrider_ and her charge in no fewer than four exhausting waves.

How they'd managed to hold off the PACT long enough for the freighter to warp out, Kayto suspected he'd never remember, having repressed the memory of their harrowing adventure. Likewise, the ashen-faced crew of the _Sunrider_ and his Ryder pilots had also chosen to pretend like the incident had never happened, except to storm his office and demand that the ship never again accept an escort mission. Kayto was all too happy to oblige. In the end, they'd never even figured out what was aboard the freighter, although the Mining Union had paid a generous bonus to shut them up.

Reading over his report, Kayto sincerely hoped no eyes would ever lay sight on the rambling morass he'd cobbled together. It was almost like a narrative of one of the second rate simulation games he'd played in high school where enemy ships would throw themselves against the protagonist vessel, heedless of casualties with the game developers pressing the quaint notion that a single ship could somehow trounce an battle-hardened war fleet outnumbered twenty-to-one.

Kayto sighed heavily, trying to not to become depressed at the thought of the sheer number of hours of his life he'd wasted saving and loading move after move in those outrageous games.

"Hey Captain," Icari plopped into the seat opposite to him with a fruit juice. Grinning, she leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the unoccupied seat beside him.

"How's it going?" Kayto hit the save button on his holo and deactivated the device.

"Just catching a breath after all that... you-know-what," Icari said with a smirk. "I swear, you really know how to pick a fight, Captain."

"Wasn't my choice, Icari," Kayto rubbed his eyes and sipped his coffee with a shudder. "It was supposed to be a milk run."

"Well let's just say you're getting quite the reputation," Icari's green eyes glinted as she measured him up. "Word has it you've got your eyes set on big game hunting and you're cooking up some kind of plan to take down the Big Ship once and for all."

"It's easier said than done," Kayto muttered.

"Hey," Icari bumped his shoulder with her hand. "Take it from someone who knows... don't be so bunched up all the time."

"Hm?" Kayto paused, slightly taken aback.

"Look," Icari put her feet down and leaned in, fixing him with a serious stare. "You're all smiles with the crew and when you're being watched, but I've seen that look in your eyes before. I can see the dark clouds gathering over your head and some of the others can too. Honestly, it's making me feel uneasy."

Kayto said nothing for a moment. "I won't let it affect my judgment," he said finally, avoiding her gaze.

"You know..." Icari looked at him sadly. "When it happened to me, I was five. The Alliance helped me out a bit, but as soon as I turned sixteen, I was out of the system." Icari sighed heavily and looked down at the table. "It messes you up... seeing something like that. I turned to crime. Experimented with some stuff I shouldn't have. Killed a man for my eighteenth birthday. Figured out I had a talent for it. Ran with this boy and his gang of pirates. It was fun for a while; made some quick bucks. Last I saw of him, he was ramming his flaming skiff into the side of an Alliance cruiser... didn't even dent the armor, stupid bastard... heh..."

Kayto looked up at Icari and saw that the mask she wore had dropped off. Underneath the hard exterior, behind the jokes and bravado, Icari's life was as scarred as any of the Ongessians' lives. It was a side of her he'd known was there, but had never seen, soft and vulnerable. "You regret all of that?" he asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Regret, huh?" Icari looked up to the ceiling, breathing out explosively. "...Yeah. It always feels like if you can just get the bastards who did it, everything will fix itself up. But, at the bottom of it, there's not a goddamn thing in this universe that can bring them back."

Kayto nodded and the two of them stared at their drinks morosely for a minute. "Well..." Kayto shook himself from the thought and pulled himself together. Icari was right. He needed to stay strong and in control of himself or the crew would worry. Slapping Icari on the shoulder, Kayto gave her a smile, this time only half forced. "Don't get so down, Icari. Plenty more Reds to kill."

"Heh..." Icari grinned back, the slipping her usual face back on. "Weren't you even listening, Captain?" Sighing with mock frustration, Icari kicked him underneath the table. "You're hopeless..."

"Be seeing you," Kayto stood and left as Icari watched his back, swirling her drink thoughtfully.

* * *

As Kayto passed through the crew quarters, he almost ran headfirst into Asaga as she charged down the corridor, undoubtedly on her way to another marathon session with the Ryder simulators. "A-Asaga!" Kayto had to practically restrain her to get her to stop. "What's the rush?"

"O-oh, you know..." Asaga squirmed loose. "Got a whole mess of simulations to run Capt'n!"

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you," Kayto said, frowning at her near manic level of energy. "Is everything alright?"

"Eh?! Uwah-hahaha!" Asaga threw her head back and laughed boisterously. "No need to worry about me, Capt'n! Everything's in tip-top shape! Leave it to me, I'll smash up the PACT and the _Legion_ like I smashed up Porkchops at Far Port!"

"Chigara tells me you've been acting differently," Kayto said, deciding to take the most direct route with Asaga. "You've been avoiding me too."

"O-oh..." Asaga deflated slightly. "I guess you noticed huh?"

Kayto only arched an eyebrow. Not noticing the change in Asaga's personality would have taken more than being deaf and dumb; the difference in her behavior between now and when she'd first come aboard was startling as day and night.

"Eh-heh..." Asaga rubbed her neck awkwardly. "I guess I just realized... Maybe I haven't been taking things seriously enough, you know? I'm not just some random girl anymore... There are a lot of people who are counting on me back home. I know it's a long way off, but one day, we're gonna liberate Ryuvia Prime. And then I'll have to lead everyone, just like my father and mother before me. I'm not exactly cut out for that kind of stuff, but... I gotta try my best!"

"Wow..." Kayto ogled at her with surprise. "I'm impressed, I suppose. You've come a long way." Kayto threw his arm around her shoulder fondly and messed her hair. "Just don't forget to relax every once in a while."

"Urk..." Asaga's cheeks turned bright with Kayto's embrace. The tearing feeling in her chest exploded outwards as she tried to extract herself from him. "Stop it, Captain... if you do that, I'll..." Asaga muttered, vision blurring as she struggled to regain control.

"Huh?" Kayto let her go, worried.

"Eaahhh, nothin'!" Asaga took a quick step away from him and gave him a giant, toothy smile, hands on her hips. "I'm the Queen of Ryuvia, ya know!" Pointing at Kayto with a finger of accusation, Asaga's voice was serious. "Laying hands on me like that would ordinarily be a capital offense! But since you're my captain... I suppose I'll let you off with a warning this time!"

"My liege..." Kayto gave a mock bow, relieved that she did not seem to have taken his presumption as offense. "I'm grateful for your generosity!"

"Uwah-hahaha!" Asaga took the opportunity to wave goodbye and carry on.

As she turned, the hearty smile she'd worn for Kayto's benefit slipped off. With a sigh, Asaga felt her shoulders drop as soon as she rounded the corner, alone.

* * *

With an air of resignation, Kayto steered himself towards the medical bay. Despite his reluctance to submit to Claude's medical attention, his insomnia had gotten markedly worse since leaving Ongess and he felt he was nearing his physical and mental breaking point with exhaustion. As he walked into the serene and immaculate medical bay, Kayto nearly bumped into Sola.

"Ah." Sola looked as surprised as he felt as the two stared at each other for a moment, wondering what the other had come for.

"Err..." Kayto shuffled awkwardly before pulling Sola to the side, whispering. "Sola! What are you doing here?"

Sola looked at him with a taken aback expression at his intrusion into her privacy.

"I-I mean..." Kayto fumbled as he tried to explain himself. "Has Claude done anything... unusual to you?"

"Unusual?" Sola's fine eyebrow arched up.

"Well, you know..." Kayto turned red and dropped his voice even further. "She's not... She's wanted on a bunch of planets for... Has she touched you anywhere she shouldn't have? Embarrassing places?"

Sola's pale complexion tinged pink. "C-captain..."

Kayto practically slapped his own face as he berated himself for coming across completely wrong. Never mind Claude, the way things stood, he was the creepy one.

"C-Captain!" Claude's voice was dramatic as she laid eyes on the two. "S-s-shock!" Trembling with indignity, Claude crossed her arms over her revealing medical uniform. "I was simply giving Sola the finest medical attention this ship could offer, yet you feel the need to lob these scandalous accusations at a hardworking professional like myself!"

Sola also turned to Kayto, who withered under her gaze.

"W-wait!" Kayto backpedaled desperately. "I-I didn't mean to sound weird or anything, Sola! Claude's been arrested for malpractice more times than you can count; I just wanted to make sure-"

"Oh Captain..." Claude cut into his hasty explanation dramatically, gushing with emotion. "I still remember the day I came aboard your ship... You led me to this sickbay... forced me to do this and that for you as payment for taking care of those pirates... I became a shamed woman that day! I'll never forget it!" Giving a huge sniff, Claude buried her face in her hands, making a hugely unconvincing show of modesty and stolen virtue.

The entire fabricated story seemed to backfire on her as Sola's eyes narrowed suspiciously at Claude.

"See Claude?" asked Kayto, triumphant.

"Uuuu..." Claude cringed, defeated. "Betrayed by my own comrade in arms..."

As Claude retreated slightly, Sola turned to Kayto. "Claude has been assisting me. I wished to investigate further into my awakening in this time. While the simplest explanation would be to accept your theory that I was held in suspended animation for two millennia, I have always harbored doubts as to whether that would have been possible, even with the technology of my time. Therefore, I had the doctor perform some tests to determine the exact duration I was in cold sleep." Sola paused for a moment, looking slightly uncomfortable. "According to the latest results... the doctor believes I was suspended for a mere three months."

"Three months!?" asked Kayto, incredulous, suddenly wondering whether Claude's mathematics were as poor as her bedside manner. "But..."

"The findings have baffled me as well." Sola mused on the thought with detachment. "The circumstances around my survival are inexplicable in the first place. I should have been vaporized the moment the Final Tear was activated. The mere fact I survived to be put in cold sleep is an anomaly, now compounded by the duration of my sleep."

"Hmm..." Kayto chewed the inside of his cheek, unable to fathom the implications of Sola's revelation. "Well... whatever the case may be, it doesn't change the fact you're with us now. No matter what, we'll take care of you and handle this together."

"Ah..." Sola blushed faintly.

"Eeehhh!" Claude raced back, no longer able to stay out of the conversation no matter the indignity. "You'd better stop that, Captain, or you'll have an entire Ryder squadron of jealous girls after you!"

"I remember my timeline clear as day," said Sola calmly, ignoring Claude with Kayto. "Further, this world is as foreign to me as mine would have been to you. Yet... I have no memories of how I was put into cold sleep mere months ago or how I arrived in your time."

Kayto shrugged. "Ryuvian Lost Technology we're familiar with have almost magical properties. Maybe that has something to do with it?" he suggested.

"It seems possible," Sola agreed with a nod. "I will continue my investigation before I draw any conclusions, however."

"All right. Let me know what you discover," requested Kayto. "We're in this together now; feel free to talk or ask for help if you ever need it."

"I will, Captain."

With that, Sola departed, a look of mixed expression on her face.

* * *

"My apologies, my Veniczar," said Fontana, his head bowed deeply as he knelt on the ground before Arcadius. Anger bled into his shaken voice as his hand curled into a fist on the cold metal decks of the _Legion_. "Admiral Grey was a far more treacherous villain than I could have imagined. Had it not been for his vile guile, we would have liberated Ongess, rescued the princess, and sank the entire Alliance Combined Fleet in one fell stroke."

"Fontana," Arcadius's voice betrayed a measure of anger on his part as well. "You are still but a boy. You do not know the evil which lies in the hearts of these Imperialists. They are but a maelstrom of greed and perversion bubbling in the guises of man."

"Forgive me," Fontana fought the desire to pound his fist into the metal deck plating beneath him. "The responsibility of the failure rests upon my shoulders. I will accept any punishment you deem fit and will not fail you again."

"Rise." Arcadius opened his arms magnanimously. "Your idealism is a virtue to our cause. We will forgive any mistake which arose out of a desire to see our creed fulfilled. Although you accomplished none of the tasks we set before you, you have dealt the Alliance fleets a serious blow."

"You are too kind, my Veniczar," answered Fontana as he rose to his feet.

"There is a project we have been working on," announced Arcadius, turning to look out at the PACT warships sailing alongside the _Legion_. "You will accompany us to oversee its completion."

Fontana stifled his surprise. "You will leave New Eden?" he asked, incredulous.

"We have already left," answered Arcadius impassively. "Four days ago. Tell us... do you know of the Paradox Project?"

"Of course," Fontana's eyes were confused. "A failed laboratory experiment which crushed the planet and inhabitants of Diode inside a black hole."

"A failure?" Arcadius's computerized voice took on an amused quality. "Nay. They say the greatest scientific achievements are found through accident. This is no different. Come with us. We shall unveil a new weapon against the Alliance. One that secure our victory in this war and strike terror into the hearts of every fat Imperialist from Solaris to Far Port. Take the _Legion_ and your fleets to these coordinates. We will be waiting."

* * *

Kayto reached out to Maray's holo, which lay face down, with shaking hands. Ever since his nightmares and sleepless nights had become dominated by visions of her, riddled with bullets or screaming, on fire, he'd not had the courage to look her in the eye. Yet the sorrow and emptiness she'd left in his heart demanded to be filled. He wanted desperately to just take the holo, stand it back up, and look once more into Maray's bright and shining eyes, if only to give himself the illusion she was still there for him. Every time he tried, however, the action filled him with such dread that he could not even bear to touch the holo's frame. Instead, he'd found himself staring at the holo, face down, reaching out for it like a drowning man, paradoxically riveted in fear as though all the universe's curses and maladies would rush out at him from within, screaming and clawing until he was no more.

 _Bing Bing_.

His quarter's doorbell shook him from his trance. Before he had a chance to collect himself, however, Ava had already entered, now accustomed to his open door policy.

"Captain." Ava looked at his pale, wan face with a flicker of concern and uncertainty. "Am I interrupting something?"

"N-no." Kayto swallowed. "No..." he said with more force. "What is it?"

"The latest battle reports from the Alliance," said Ava, handing him a small data chip. Her cherry eyes looked him over and pinned his own with her gaze, clearly seeing through his feeble dismissal. "The Alliance has made further gains against the PACT since the Second Battle of Ongess. The Glecayama and Plion systems are both under Alliance control now. The latest intelligence shows that the PACT has retreated to their final defensive lines in the Neutral Rim; Arcadius means for his forces to take a last stand at Cera to turn the tide from PACT territory."

"Cera..." Kayto's lips tightened. "So it appears Cera will be the decisive battle of the war... If the Alliance liberates Cera, they'll be poised to launch strikes into PACT territory, a threat Arcadius cannot take lightly. If the Alliance makes enough gains into PACT space, Arcadius will be forced to sue for peace or risk total annihilation."

"The Alliance has never fought a war beyond the Neutral Rim in its entire history," rebutted Ava less enthusiastically. "It seems inconceivable they plan to conquer all of PACT space."

"Grey doesn't fight a war unless he intends to win," said Kayto darkly.

Ava gave a weary sigh. "It's been a long fight... but it looks like we're getting close to the end."

Kayto nodded. "I... I had this idea..." he muttered, confessing. "That we'd be back in time for her birthday. I..." Kayto sighed explosively, the universe crushing down on his shoulders. "Doesn't look like we'll make it in time... it was a stupid idea anyways..." Involuntarily, he turned back to stare at the face down holo.

Ava walked up behind him, stopping one stride away from his side. Frowning, she took note of Maray's holo, the dark circles under Kayto's eyes, and the grim set to his jaw. "Captain... Kayto..." Ava put a hand on his shoulder, surprisingly gently.

"Ava?" Kayto asked, surprised.

"...These shoulders have carried much," she finally said after a moment of silence. "Isn't it time to let some things go?"

Kayto stiffened, his fists balling, an indescribable sensation that transcended any rage or ire rising in him. "No..." he whispered. "Not yet. Not while a crimson flag still flies above our world."

* * *

Kayto groaned and fell face first into his holo. The sun was already setting, the last of its brilliant, orange rays streaking across the Ceran sky and bathing the empty classroom in its rosy glow. Aside from the occasional tap of a stylus or huff of frustration, the room had been nearly silent for what seemed like hours now. The afterschool clubs had long since ended practice for the day, giving liberty to the remaining students, save for two.

"Pres…" Kayto moaned weakly, his throat hoarse and raspy from hours of disuse.

"What is it?" snapped Ava, peering over her holo critically.

As Kayto looked into her cherry eyes, framed by her shoulder length hair, he found no pity in her expression. "Pres… everyone's been gone for hours. We should go before they lock us in here too," he pleaded, wondering what he and Ava would do if they were actually locked in for the evening.

"Tsch..." Ava glared at him critically. "If you want to bail like everyone else, go ahead."

Kayto shook his head in exasperation. No matter how many hours he poured in at Ava's side, filling out endless stacks of paperwork, she still treated him with the same contempt as usual. "You know..." Kayto said, treading lightly. "You really should ask for help and stop trying to do everything by yourself. It makes you look stuck up."

Ava gave a small huff of derision. "If I needed help, I'd say so. I don't need those other dead weights from the student council."

"Are you sure about that?" Kayto nudged Ava in the ribs playfully as she scowled and pushed him away. "Come on, admit it. Deep down, you wanted me to stay here." Kayto pointed a mock-accusatory finger at Ava. "Because there's nothing Ava Crescentia likes less than having to fill out paperwork by her lonesome!"

Ava glared at him until he put down his finger. "Idiot," she muttered predictably before turning back to her holo.

Kayto turned back to his own, hiding a grin behind the screen. Ava had been like that their entire shared childhood. Always older, always smarter, and always aloof. And yet, Kayto couldn't help but to stick by her side, thick or thin, case in point the paperwork they'd been embroiled in since the unofficial resignation of every other student council member.

Another mind-crushingly dull hour went past before Kayto finally powered off his holo, stretching and groaning as he got up from his seat. By then, the setting sun had gone below Cera's horizon properly, leaving him and Ava sitting in the dusk. "That's it; good enough for today."

"But..." Ava dithered over her holo, looking anxiously over document after document of pointless paperwork and bureaucracy. "I should double check..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you filled them out properly!" said Kayto, hitting the power button on Ava's holo for her. "Come on! I have to pick Maray up from her lessons!" Watching Ava, Kayto realized with a horrible sinking feeling she was seriously considering turning the device back on. Desperately, Kayto grabbed her arm, risking his own limb to drag her away.

"Fine, fine!" Ava snapped, snatching the holo up and putting it in her bag before letting Kayto drag her out of the classroom.

* * *

The two walked down the sidewalk, cutting through Cera City's shopping district to pick Maray up from the orchestra hall. Throngs of shoppers and diners jostled them as they pushed their way through the crowds. Cera's winter was approaching quickly, giving the crisp evening air a bite of unseasonable cold, a warning of things to come.

Neither was wearing more than a standard school uniform. Although many other schools across Cera had already adopted thermaweave or holoclothing, the academy Kayto and Ava attended remained firmly committed to the hot and itchy in the summer and cold and drafty in the winter synthetic uniforms from hell, despite being one of the top academies in the city. Something about tradition or, more likely, the Principal was getting a kickback from his friends at the uniform shop for forcing his pupils to purchase obsolete overstock.

"Here, take this," said Kayto, steeling himself against the nip in the air and unwrapping his scarf from his neck. Although he knew she'd deny it if he brought it up, Kayto could see the shiver that ran down Ava's spine every time the wind blew.

Ava looked at Kayto's offering for a moment before crossing her arms resolutely and powering forward. "Don't need it."

"Don't be like that," Kayto said, wrapping his scarf around her neck messily as she rolled her eyes. "It makes you look stuck up."

"Mmou..." Ava sighed as he pulled back before adjusting the scarf and tying it neatly, burying her nose into the fabric. "...thanks."

"...yeah..." Kayto turned a little pink on the cheeks, the cold air suddenly seeming a little less bitter.

Ava kept her gaze firmly forward, turning a little pink in the cheeks herself and grateful that Kayto's own embarrassment seemed to be keeping him from noticing her own. Unbeknownst to Kayto, she breathed in deeply, allowing the scent of his scarf to sooth a frayed nerve or two.

"So..." Kayto looked at her sideways. "Have you figured out what you want to do after graduation yet?"

"Not really." Ava's voice was quiet as she kept her gaze firmly on the sidewalk.

"Oh." Kayto scratched his head. It was very unlike Ava not to have a plan of action. "Well... tell me once everything's decided, OK?"

"Mm."

Kayto exhaled, watching a plume of vapor rise into the night air. The two walk in silence for a block before he tries to strike up conversation again. "It's going to be tough without you, Pres. The school's going to miss you."

Ava looked at him critically, not buying it for a moment. "Hardly."

"Well the first part's true," said Kayto with a weak smile.

"Idiot."

Cera's concert hall was one of its most recognizable buildings. Designed with graceful crystalline arcs encircling and orbiting the main building, the concert hall looked almost as though it had been carved out of an enormous gemstone in the heart of the city. Although professional orchestras and musicians performed almost nightly at the hall, the Ceran government set the building aside for music education during school and afterschool hours.

"Maray's still playing music, huh?" asked Ava as the two drew closer to the stunning building.

"Yeah, she's gotten quite good," Kayto smiled proudly, seeing Maray's distinctive white hair poke out of the front of the concert hall's doors. Waving, he gestured her over. "You should come to one of her concerts sometime."

"Mm." Ava grunted noncommittally.

"Kayto!" Maray ran up to the two as fast as her instrument case would allow. Seeing her brother standing next to Ava, his scarf around her neck, Maray's eyes got a mischievous glint. "Ding, Ding-"

"Ready?" asked Kayto, cutting off her comment abruptly.

"Mmou..." Maray pouted. "Yeah..."

Together the three continued on to Cera City's residential district, catching a transit just in time.

"The Maestro scolded me for dozing off again today," said Maray sourly as the transit glided smoothly along the street, playing with one of her hair ribbons and adjusting a twintail.

"I thought he liked you," said Kayto.

"No..." Maray sighed. "I don't think so. He always says I slow down too much. But I think the piece sounds better that way!"

Kayto laughed, ruffling her hair to her annoyance.

Outside, a snowflake drifted down past the transit's window. More followed as a sudden snow flurry started. "Oh!" Maray exclaimed as she plastered herself on the transit window excitedly. "Look Kayto! It's the first snow of the season!"

Kayto shivered just looking at the white flakes drifting downwards.

"Mmou!" Maray stuck her tongue out at Kayto's lack of enthusiasm, his shiver not escaping her attention. "You're so weak against the cold, Kayto."

Kayto sighed darkly. "I can't believe we still haven't built that dome over Cera City yet... seems like they talk about it every year, but never get around to starting."

"Aww," Maray whined. "That's no fun! What about building snow forts and having snowball fights?"

"You could always take a transit out of the city," grumbled Kayto. "No need to bother the rest of us with that."

"Meanie." Maray flicked him.

"Ow!"

The transit stopped at their local residential stop, allowing the three of them to exit before continuing along its path. Row after row of apartments, comfortable duplexes, stretched for several blocks, their warm and bright interiors beckoning to the three of them.

"I bet Ava likes the snow. Don't you Ava?" demanded Maray, roping their taciturn companion into the conversation.

Ava held her tongue for a moment, but her features softened. She'd always had a sisterly soft spot for Maray. "Mm... it's not bad."

"See~!" Maray stuck her tongue out at Kayto in triumph and pranced ahead, spinning in the snowflake filled air.

"You traitor!" hissed Kayto in a whisper.

"Idiot."

Minutes later, the three found themselves at their apartment building.

"Your dad's out on deployment again, isn't he?" asked Kayto as the three of them shook snowflakes off their jackets at the threshold of the building.

Ava nodded wordlessly and shrugged as the three piled into an elevator to their floor.

Ava and her father lived in the unit next door to Kayto's family. As an officer in the Ceran Space Force, Ava's father was seldom home except during his periods of shore leave, no more than a few weeks each year. For the rest of the year, Ava lived alone. When she was younger, Kayto's family treated her as their own daughter and there was seldom a single night she did not spend eating dinner and doing her homework in the Shields' apartment. As she grew older, however, Ava started spending less time over, withdrawing to her family's apartment. Kayto's parents attributed it to the growing pains of adolescence, although they always kept an open door for her.

"Come on," Kayto indicated his family's door. "Mom wants you over for dinner. It's been weeks since you last came over."

Ava's cherry eyes looked at his door with mixed feeling as she brushed a lock of her brown hair behind an ear. "I... shouldn't intrude," she said, not meeting his gaze.

"Mom's orders," insisted Kayto with a smile. "No choice."

"I want Ava over too!" interjected Maray, grabbing Ava's arm and tugging.

"Your dad would have wanted this," urged Kayto, rolling his eyes and wondering what it would take to entice Ava over for a simple meal. "He asked us to look after you all those years ago, remember?"

Ava turned red properly and looked down at her shoes. "I... guess I have no choice."

Kayto grinned as Maray excitedly burst through their front door and streaked into the family apartment. "Ava's here!" she squealed as she ran to the kitchen where their parents were cooking.

"...Thanks..." Ava still kept her eyes averted, but walked into the apartment with something almost like a smile on her face.

* * *

"Captain." Ava's voice interrupted Kayto's thoughts.

"Hm?" Kayto jerked up straight in his command chair, wasting a moment to chastise himself. As the commanding officer of the _Sunrider_ , he could not afford such lapses when he had command of the CIC.

Ava apparently thought so as well, giving him a glare, but holding her tongue, lest the crew overhear.

"I'm sorry," apologized Kayto. "What is it?"

"Priority one message from the Alliance," answered Ava, letting the issue slide for now and forwarding an Alliance intelligence report to his screen. "An Alliance spy drone has just returned a sighting of the _Legion_ in the Helion system."

"Helion?" Kayto asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion as he consulted his starchart. "There must be some mistake, the Helion system's completely removed from the theater of war. What would the _Legion_ be doing there?"

"Unknown," answered Ava. "But there's no mistake. Alliance Intelligence confirms this as a positive sighting."

"I see..." Kayto tapped his screens thoughtfully. "Well, whatever it's doing, it's not charity work. Is the Alliance taking action?"

"Admiral Grey has mobilized four war fleets to the Helion system. We have orders to warp from our current patrol route and perform advance reconnaissance of the system before the Alliance fleets arrive," said Ava, plotting the proposed course on the navigation screen.

"Give me a brief on the Helion system."

"Helion is a class O white supergiant," said Ava, bringing up a summary file on the main screen. "It's a young star, extremely hot, with very strong magnetic activity. No known planets or human habitation in the system. We should be able to mask our warp signatures with all the interference that star's putting out, although our own sensors will be impaired by the extreme conditions around the star."

Kayto nodded, unsure whether to feel apprehensive or eager. "Very well, lay in our course and warp to Helion as soon as we're spooled up."

"Aye Captain."

* * *

Ava sat on top a desk, her back pressed against the window behind her. It was cold, but the cream colored sweater of the academy's winter uniform deadened the worst of it. Yet another day, yet another impossible stack of paperwork. Kayto hunched over his holo in front of her as she took a break from their work.

"Hey Kayto?"

Kayto looked up, squinting a little against the bright winter sun behind Ava.

Ava pulled a leg up on the desk as she leaned backwards, thinking. Kayto averted his eyes, trying not to stare at her thighs as her skirt rode up slightly. "Y-yeah?"

"Do you like me?"

"Hurk!" Kayto's eyes bulged slightly as he shook his head, dumbfounded, wondering if he'd misheard her. "W-whhaa?" Inside his chest, his heart pounded wildly, he felt a little sick and uneasy. What kind of question was that? Ava had been practically ignoring him for the last five years, and now? To just ask that at point blank?

"..." Ava's cherry eyes flickered over to him, finally making eye contact. "I wonder. Love's just a chemical reaction. When certain conditions are met, chemicals are released into our synapses and bloodstreams which simulate the sensation of love."

Kayto arched an eyebrow at Ava, wondering where she was going with the statement. If that was her way of coming onto him...

"Are we any different than robots then?" asked Ava, now looking away and at the ceiling pensively. "Running on chemicals that simulate our existence? Your eyes transmit electrical information about what you see to your brain. But how do you know any of it is true? Would you even know it if something was wrong? Reality only exists in your mind. It's just a simulation of what really exists. A subjective interpretation of an objective universe."

Kayto rubbed his brow, feeling the beginnings of a headache which, this time, had nothing to do with the paperwork he'd been bashing his head against. He wasn't even sure what to say to Ava's strange comments. From romance to universal objectivity? Where was this going anyways?

Ava turned to look out the window, the setting sun reflecting brilliantly on her silky hair and prismatic eyes. As she gazed into the distance, her face wore a cold, unfeeling expression on it. "There are trillions of us out there. Living on more worlds than we can count. In the greater scheme of the galaxy, we're insignificant as individuals. And yet... why do we each believe we're special? That we have some destiny in this universe?"

"Because we're all free people, that's why," declared Kayto after a moment of thought. Sighing, Kayto turned to face her, putting his arm on the back of his desk's chair. "You always have to make things so complicated. It's simple."

"Oh?" Ava sounded unconvinced.

"Of course I like you." Kayto looked at Ava seriously. "You're reliable. When I'm around you, I get the feeling you can get anything done. That things will be alright."

Ava said nothing for a full thirty seconds, staring at him.

"Idiot."

Kayto recoiled at her scathing tone.

"I wasn't talking about that," Ava glared at him. "I merely enjoy talking about things that go over your head."

"Wha-? Listen here-" Kayto protested.

Ava cut him off with an icy stare.

Sighing, Kayto felt the fight leave his body. There was a reason why Ava had no friends, other than himself, to speak of. Not that she would even admit she was his friend...

"Idiot."

* * *

"Preparing to disengage warp drives. Spooling down... now," reported Ava. "We're arrived at the _Legion's_ last know coordinates in the Helion system. Sensors are clear; no PACT contacts."

Kayto let his breath go in relief. The most dangerous aspect of warping into the Helion sytem blind was the danger of running afoul the _Legion_ , herself, or some PACT patrol. Fortunately, luck seemed to be on their side as no proximity alerts sounded and _Sunrider's_ passive scanners pulsed an all-clear signal. "Power down all non-essential systems. Give us as low of an EM profile as you can manage. As of this moment, _Sunrider_ is engaged in shadow operations. I want us running silent and dark."

"Aye Captain," answered Ava, relaying his command.

Moments later, the CIC plunged into a subdued red. All along the ship, Kayto knew all lights would be powering down to emergency levels, drawing as little power as possible from the ship's grid. The _Sunrider's_ fusion reactor would also slow and cool as much as possible, diminishing its output, but also reducing the likelihood of detection by PACT sensors. The nearly ubiquitous hum aboard the ship slowly quieted, giving the entire vessel the feel of an ancient submarine. Kayto suddenly became aware of his own breathing.

"Long range passive scans around the clock," he ordered quietly. It was ridiculous, of course. No sensor would ever detect anything as insignificant as his voice, but human psychology and instinct could not be denied. In the quiet of the ship, it seemed everyone slowed and took care, speaking in the same hushed tones as though keeping a low personal profile would somehow help the ship. "If there's anything suspicious, I want it forwarded to my office right away."

"Captain," Kryska saluted as she entered the CIC and approached the command dais. "Admiral Grey and Alliance Command inform me that the Alliance fleets are forty-five hours out. In the meantime, he bids you good hunting."

"Give him our regards, Lieutenant," said Kayto, nodding.

"Sir." Kryska saluted again and left.

"All hands, this is the Captain speaking," announced Kayto, keying the ship-wide PA. His voice boomed overhead, uncomfortably loud. "As of now, the _Sunrider_ is running dark and silent. Our prey is the PACT super-dreadnought _Legion_. The enemy's firepower far outclasses our own. We cannot afford another close call with that ship." Kayto's hands clenched white and he fought to keep his voice steady. "We all saw what that ship did to Cera City. We watched our homes and loved ones reduced to dust, fire, and ash in the blink of an eye. The _Legion_ will do the same to us if we give it that chance. Whatever the _Legion_ is doing out here, whatever the PACT is planning, we will unravel and put a stop to it. I know you'll all do your best. For those we left behind. Shields out."

Kayto killed the broadcast, lips pressed into a razor thin line of determination.

"Captain." Ava saluted, looking equally grim and focused. All around him, the _Sunrider's_ crew steeled themselves and snapped to, working with a furious dedication and single-minded drive for revenge.

"Begin the operation," Kayto ordered his XO, iron in his voice. "I'll be in my office. You have the CIC."

* * *

Kayto sat at his desk, his finger hovering over a file on his holo.

 _Maray__

It was such a trivial thing. One tap and music, her music, would fill his life again. But if it was so simple, why could he not bring himself to open it? Kayto's finger trembled a hair lower as he forced himself to, wanting desperately to hear Maray one more time.

 _Bing Bing_

Kayto felt a sudden panicking feeling, as though he was falling backwards as his doorbell shattered the moment into a thousand pieces. Quickly, he dismissed the file directory and tried to marshal his thoughts. "Come in."

Ava walked into his office and set her holo down on his desk. "Long range sensors picked this up," she reported, swiveling the screen to face him.

An unusual structure appeared, grainy from interference and distance. Although the resolution was poor, the distance scale on the still's lower corner showed that, whatever it was, the structure was massive. Its appearance, however, resembled nothing Kayto had ever seen in space, looking like two rings, joined together at two points perpendicular to each other. "A space station of some kind?" he asked, judging from the size of the construct.

"Hard to say." Ava's tone was uncertain. "Definitely PACT from our spectroscopic analysis of hull materials, but it doesn't match any known blueprints in the database. I don't have exact numbers due to the electronic interference from Helion, but the scans also suggest the presence of a large combined PACT and pirate fleet numbering in the hundreds protecting the structure."

Kayto frowned at the blurry scans. "The PACT wouldn't have deployed the _Legion_ and a fleet that large unless that... thing's worth protecting. Set a course for it, get us as close as you can without being detected. Use Helion to mask our approach and continue monitoring the situation until the Alliance fleet arrives."

"Understood Captain." Ava turned on her heel and left. As her brown hair swished around his door frame and whisked out of sight, Kayto's hands clenched again.

* * *

Kayto and Maray walked through Cera City's downtown commercial district together, the former huddled and shivering behind his coat and scarf. Maray gave him a condescending look, satisfied with her thinner coat and colorful scarf. The two had spent the day perusing the shops, checking out the latest imports from the Solar Alliance and spending pocket money at the arcades. Although Kayto had gotten thoroughly trounced by his sister at their favorite Ryder sim, he'd enjoyed the day to the maximum, savoring the reprieve from school and exams.

"Hey Kayto," Maray turned to face him. "Ava seems to come over a lot more lately. Why's that?" she asked innocently.

"Well..." Kayto shrugged at her. "Her dad's on deployment again. Being part of the Cera Space Force means he's usually not home. We're her neighbors and family friends. It's not that weird to take care of her is it?"

Maray's face broke into a wicked grin. "Are you sure you don't just invite her over because you like her? Little sister's so proud of you..."

"I-it's not like that!" Kayto gave her head a chop. "Dummy."

Maray dodged the chop and deftly grabbed his holo out of his bag, taking advantage of his fluster.

"HAHAHA!" Maray gave an evil laugh, surprisingly menacing for a girl of her size, all pretense at innocence lost. "I KNEW it!" Maray turned the holo around so that Kayto could see. "I knew you set a holo of her as your background. And she's in a bathing suit. Ding, ding! Little sister approves!"

"T-that's just a photo from our training trip!" retorted Kayto, cheeks burning, making a wild snatch for his holo.

"Tell me, what did you think of her swimsuit?" teased Maray viciously. "Did you like it? Were you staring at her the whole time? I bet you were~!"

"I was with four other people!" protested Kayto, diving for the device again and missing miserably as she danced out from under his arms.

"Why don't you just hurry and get married already?" Maray asked, only half-teasing now. "That way, we can all live under one roof and Ava can be my sister!"

"No one wants to live with you, dummy," growled Kayto, giving up on the fight for his holo, lest the device drop and break.

Maray grinned, taking advantage of his surrender to flip through his text messages.

"H-hey!" Kayto tried snatching for it again, but missed. "Those are private! There's nothing you'd find interesting in there anyways."

"Then what's the matter if I look?" shot back Maray, mischief dancing behind her blue eyes. "Maybe I'll even send a text or two to Ava, maybe give you two a little helping hand…"

"ARRGH!" Kayto made a wild dive for his holo. Unsurprisingly, Maray dodged aside, sending him sprawling to the ground. Several shoppers turned to stare.

"See Ya!" Maray laughed unkindly before vanishing into the throngs of shoppers, her small size giving her an advantage in navigating the crowd.

"Hold it!" Kayto sprinted after her, spinning and diving through the scandalized pedestrians that shared the walkway. "W-whooooaaah!"

A familiar figure exited from a bookshop; too late, Kayto registered the impending collision.

"E-eh!?" Ava cried out in surprise as Kayto practically ran straight into her.

Twisting his body at the last minute, Kayto felt his balance pitch forward, sending him spinning past her and crashing to the cold pavement for the second time that day. "Urgh..." he groaned, winded and crumpled on the ground.

If life were an anime, he'd probably have had the good luck to land on top of her with his hands miraculously fondling her cleavage, but alas, the only thing he was rubbing his cheek on was the cold, rough cement beneath him. Ava's shoes and stockinged legs came into view as she towered above him, arms crossed with a pitiless glare on her face as she looked down on him with supreme indifference.

"Are you an idiot?" she demanded as he tried to clear his head. "What were you doing, running down the street like that? You looked like a madman. Someone could've been hurt!"

" _Yeah, me,"_ thought Kayto ruefully. "Chasing after a nefarious little imp," he said out loud. "I don't suppose you're going to help me up?"

Ava glared at him for another moment before grudgingly offering him her hand, pulling him up to his feet with the air of doing him a huge favor. Sighing, Kayto dusted himself off as best he could.

"Come on, let's go," grumbled Ava, leading the way back to the residential district.

As the two walked home in silence, Kayto's mind wandered, wistfully dreaming of all the ways he could get even with Maray. A Devorak bug from Ongess in her school bag? An anti-grav bead clipped to her skirt? "Accidentally" mailing her BL to her school friends?

"Hey," Ava shoved him roughly.

"What?" demanded Kayto.

"Your face." Ava rolled her eyes. "You look like a serial killer."

Kayto said nothing, but let his shoulders slump. She was right; pulling a prank on Maray would probably bite him one hundred times worse at some time he least expected it.

"Idiot." Ava looked at him a bit closer, sighing. "You're a mess." Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a handkerchief. "Here."

With a much softer huff of exasperation, Ava stopped Kayto and dabbed at the scrapes on his face, standing on tiptoe to make it easier to reach, surprisingly gentle.

Wordlessly, Kayto watched as her cherry eyes fixed his scrapes with an intense look, completely focused on them as she dabbed away the blood and dirt, her hair swaying slightly as she moved. They were so close…

' _Maybe give you two a little helping hand…'_

Maray's smug voice echoed in his mind and for a moment, he swore he could see her grinning face flash before his eyes.

' _Ding Ding! Little sister approves!'_

* * *

Kayto spent the next several hours pacing his officer nervously as the _Sunrider_ drifted close to the PACT structure, carefully directing their thruster emissions away from any PACT contacts and making the most out of Helion's gravity well to pull in closer. On the holoscreen in his office, Helion's brilliant white light seemed to break up as though through a prism, causing the surface of the star to ripple in all colors of the rainbow. Flares of radiation and super-hot plasma whipped out from Helion, lashing the _Sunrider_ with gamma ray bursts and a veritable storm of ionized particles like an ancient ship passing through a storm.

Biting his lip, Kayto stared out at the harsh light of the star, hoping it would be enough to let the _Sunrider_ slip through undetected. Finally, his bracelet chirped, summoning him to the CIC.

"Captain, we're within visual range of the PACT structure now," reported Ava as he dropped into his command station.

"On screen," ordered Kayto.

The unusual PACT space station resolved on the CIC's main screen, revealing additional details their long-range scan could not. It looked just as unusual as from afar, it's dual, perpendicular rings still defying any logical explanation or function. Kayto could now see that multiple fins, like heat radiators, stood out on the insides of the rings and, in places, along the outer hull of the construct, again, with no discernible function.

"Any idea what the hell that thing is?" he asked Ava as his XO fed the data into her console.

"Comparing scan data to known PACT designs in the Alliance database. No hits. Expanding search to all known designs... no hits." Ava furrowed her brow in frustration. "Wait! A hit in our database..." Ava projected her findings to the main screen, showing a smaller, but unmistakably similar space station from a file in the Ceran database.

"Ryuvia's..." Kayto breathed out in disbelief. "Get the Chief Engineer up here. On the double."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Ava, Chigara, and Kayto had retired to his office to avoid being overheard.

"There's no mistake," Chigara looked paler than usual and shaken. "The PACT structure appears to be a replica of the Paradox Core we built at Diode." Chigara turned her holo to face Ava and Kayto, showing them her comparison between the two structures. "The PACT replica, however, appears to have been recreated on a massively larger scale. These energy readings confirm that the PACT version not only dwarfs the Diode version in physical size, but also in terms of power. While the Paradox Core at Diode had the capacity to generate an unstable singularity large enough to destroy a planet, I estimate that the PACT version has both the size and power to generate a stable singularity... with the potential to extinguish entire stars."

"Captain," Ava was pale. "This is a PACT doomsday weapon. One that will not just destroy cities or fleets, but entire systems at a time. If this weapon becomes a reality, all of our victories thus far would be moot."

Kayto nodded, swallowing hard. "The very face of war would change... there wouldn't even be a point in having a fleet with a weapon of that magnitude..." Kayto looked up from Chigara's holo, resolution steeling his eyes. "We cannot allow the PACT to finish construction on the Paradox Core. I wish I were exaggerating, but the fate of humanity rests upon our shoulders."

Ava crossed her arms, shaking her head in disbelief. "Where did the PACT even gain the knowledge to build something like this?" she asked in an ashen voice.

"I... I don't know." Chigara's eyes were downcast and her voice quiet. "Everyone who had knowledge of the Paradox Project was killed in the Diode Catastrophe. I had always believed that the knowledge to build such a device had died with my people..."

"One mystery after another," muttered Kayto, rubbing his brow with frustration. "Chigara, you know the most about the Paradox Core of anyone here. Help Ava draft a battle plan. If you can think of any weaknesses we can exploit, now's the time. The Alliance fleet's still about twenty hours out from the rendezvous coordinates. That gives us exactly twenty hours to come up with an action plan. As soon as that fleet drops out of warp, I want us ready to hit that Core with everything we've got while it's still under construction." Kayto punched a fist into his open palm to emphasize his intentions.

"How do you know it's not already operational?" asked Ava. "If that thing manages to activate, our entire fleet would be wiped out before we could fire a shot."

"The _Legion_ and the PACT and pirate ships are still holding position nearby, guarding the Core. If they try detonating the Core, they'll lose the _Legion_. And if Arcadius is on board, there's no way they'd do something like that. If there's anything we know about Arcadius, it's that he's not into heroic sacrifices."

Ava saluted with Chigara following suit, the two of them looking grim. "Understood, Captain," Ava said crisply. "We will ready the plans."

"Dismissed."

* * *

"My Veniczar," Fontana bowed deeply, bathed in the subdued, reddish lighting in the inside of the Paradox Core. Having arrived mere hours before Arcadius, Fontana had been whisked throughout the entire construct by the project engineers on an inspection of their progress. Fontana had listened to them and toured the Paradox Core barely able to conceal his surprise and awe at Arcadius's secret project. "I have been informed that construction is progressing as planned. Soon, you will have a weapon rivaling the power of the Ancient Ryuvian Emperors."

"Rise Fontana." Arcadius's footsteps rang on the metal grating beneath their feet. Fontana stifled another gasp of surprise. This was no hologram, but Arcadius, himself, in the flesh. "It bids us pleasure to finally see our creation with our own eyes."

Arcadius led Fontana as they walked down the Paradox Core's sullenly lit corridors to a central chamber. "When we first saw its light when it was born on Diode, we witnessed a new era," continued Arcadius, gesturing at the Core's interior. "A new chapter in the saga of human progress. A weapon so terrifying it will end all wars. As brothers and sisters, we shall all be united in our fear of the Core. Yet..." Arcadius paused, deliberating.

"My Veniczar?" asked Fontana.

"Victory is not yet assured." Arcadius turned his blank-eyed mask to stare at him. "The _Sunrider_ seeks to foil our plans. It lurks nearby, hidden, in the shadow of Helion."

"But Veniczar, our scanners-" protested Fontana, thrown by Arcadius's sudden declaration.

"We grow weary of repeating ourselves." Arcadiu's voice was pitiless and hard. "Find it. And bring the princess to us."

Fontana stepped back as though physically slapped. "A-as you command! I will not fail you again!"

"Good." Arcadius turned away from Fontana, clenching a fist in the air. "Soon, we will have all the keys to unite the galaxy under our cause. Do this, Fontana, and your place at my side as the successor of PACT will be assured."

"Understood!" Fontana bowed low again. "I will depart at once." Turning on his heel, Fontana marched away from Arcadius, heart pounding in his throat.

* * *

Kayto watched Ava out of the corner of his eye. As with the afternoon the day before and the day before that, yet another precious hour of his youth was lost to the drudgery and fruitless boredom that had come to be his duties on the student council. Still, the way the last rays of sun hit her eyes and caught her hair made it almost worth it. Almost. Sighing, Kayto dropped his gaze and returned to his holo. If Ava caught him staring at her, even the pain of the paperwork would dull in comparison to whatever punishment she'd dole out to him.

"Hey Kayto."

Ava's voice made him jump. Looking up nervously, Kayto couldn't help but wonder whether he was about to receive the beating of his life. Fortunately, Ava's face was one of neutral boredom, rather than fury; Kayto felt a surge of relief.

"I enlisted."

"W-wha-?" Kayto felt the sensation of relief suddenly bottom out and vanish, sublimating in an instant. He shook his head, almost unsure if he'd heard incorrectly.

Ava gave him an irritated huff, mistaking his shock for incomprehension. "For the Space Force!" she snapped.

"Y-you did!?" Kayto stammered a little, pinching himself under his desk, just to be sure. _'What the hell?'_ he thought to himself. Ava's announcement was completely out of the blue. Sure, her father was an officer in the Cera Space Force, but Ava had never once expressed a personal desire to join the ranks of the CSF. Not that Kayto knew what she intended to do with herself after graduation, but he'd always figured she'd go into politics or upper level management at some large Cera City firm given her personality and interests.

"Well?" demanded Ava, rounding on him. "What do you think about it?"

"W-what do I think?" Kayto reflected the question back at her gormlessly, feeling his brain jam for a moment. "Well... I... uh... I'm happy for you. Isn't that what your dad does?" he said, marshaling his thoughts. "You're following in his footsteps. I'm sure your family will be proud to have another Crescentia serving Cera."

Ava snorted gently under her breath. "I wonder..." Without saying anything else, she turned back to her holo and paperwork as though she'd merely commented on the weather instead of sharing a lifetime decision with her childhood friend.

When it became apparent she wasn't about to talk any more about her decision, Kayto piped up again. "So... when are you leaving?"

"I'll be on the first shuttle to orbit after graduation," answered Ava without looking up.

"That's quick." Kayto tried not to sound disappointed. "I'm... going to miss you." Kayto looked up at Ava, trying to catch her eye.

"Mm." Ava continued to plug away at her holo, not bothering to look up.

A storm of conflicting emotions surged in his chest. It was natural, wasn't it? To care for your childhood friend in such a way... But if Kayto was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure if his feelings towards Ava were so simple anymore.

"Will you be back?" asked Kayto finally.

"Unlikely." Ava sighed and finally looked up at him. "It's not like I have anything to come back to here."

"O-oh..."

An awkward silence fell between the two as Kayto looked down at the surface of his desk, face burning. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his inner turmoil. Damn it, he'd known Ava since before they'd even learned to talk. If anyone was going to support her and send her off with a smile on their face, he knew it would be him.

"I always knew you would do something amazing," Kayto looked up, hoisting a bright look on his face.

"Huh?" Ava looked surprised at his reaction.

"So you're going to be in space, huh?" Kayto leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head and staring into the Ceran sky with a twinkle in his eyes. "Sailing through the stars on a mighty spaceship... sounds like a dream."

"It's nothing special," dismissed Ava with a wave of the hand. "Did you know that on Solaris, there are so many starships coming and going from the planet that if you stare up at the night sky, you can see lines of moving lights? Like hundreds of glowing ant trails in the sky. They say that night never truly falls on Solaris because of that."

Kayto nodded enthusiastically. "I saw a documentary on the holo about Solaris once. Who knows? Maybe you'll see it in person someday..."

Kayto thought back to their childhood, remembering the warmth of Ava's hand as she dragged him forward into the dark and up the mountains. They'd lay out in the open on the soft, springy grass, head next to head, staring up at the night sky. Shielded from the city lights, the stars on the far side of the mountain would twinkle down on them as they lost themselves in the open sea. Ava would point to the different stars, telling Kayto their names, what kind of government they had, and any other cultural highlights while he'd lay there, listening more to the sound of her voice than what she said.

It'd been years since they'd done anything like that again... and now, Ava was leaving to swim the same ocean they'd once looked up at together as children.

Kayto felt his eyes sting as he dropped his gaze back down to his holo, staring blankly at the photo of four teens, three smiling and laughing, one grumpy, frozen in time against the bright sun and sparkling waters.


	26. Promise

**In order to maintain the T rating of this work, the following chapter has omitted all adult content. Please go to the official Sunrider Novelization webpage or the Sunrider forums (this site apparently does not allow me to share links) for the unedited version if you are of appropriate age and wish to read the chapter with all original adult content.**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Thanks, sounds like you're an Ava fan. Whelp, you know what's coming.**

 **Jimmz147: Most western audiences think "Mou" is weird, but it only occurs once or twice and I'm not really that upset about it. As one of the Sunrider forum users said: ""moou why should i stop using it? Its so moe!" Sorry if it bugs you.**

* * *

"Captain, we have a situation." Ava's voice crackled urgently over his quarters' comm, interrupting his thoughts.

Kayto gave his head a quick shake, checking his bracelet; it'd been almost an hour since his last conscious memory. Blinking, he pulled himself from his memories and back to the present, disconcerted by the increasingly frequent lapses he seemed to be experiencing. "I-I'll be right down," he replied, a bit hoarsely.

He could practically hear Ava's frown and grinding teeth on the other side of the line, but, thankfully, his First Officer declined to comment, merely terminating the call. Straightening his uniform, Kayto hurried to the bridge, striding with purpose through the _Sunrider's_ dimmed and silent halls.

"Report," said Kayto crisply as he strode into the CIC. As stealth operations constituted an active combat situation, none of the crew bothered with more than a nod of respect at his entrance, continuing to man their stations.

"Bogies detected," answered Ava grimly, swiveling her tactical screen to show him as he settled into the captain's chair. "PACT and pirate transponders detected at the edge of our sensor range and entering our AO."

Kayto cursed. If the _Sunrider_ had run afoul a standard patrol, it was a stroke of ridiculously bad luck... unless it wasn't coincidence. "Did they find us?" he demanded. "Tell me we're still dark."

Ava crossed her arms, glaring at the approaching PACT and pirate ships on her screen. "We don't know yet."

"Did anything happen to break our cover?" asked Kayto, calling up the last few hours' engineering reports. "Electrical or thermal discharges? Equipment malfunction? Ongessite leak?"

"Negative Captain," answered Ava, chewing her lip. "I had engineering run a comprehensive diagnostic on our systems as soon as we detected the enemy signatures."

Kayto's hand balled into a fist. The PACT and pirate ships were on an oblique course bringing them closer to the _Sunrider_ , but appeared to be moving relatively slowly, as though they genuinely were on an ordinary and boring patrol route. If there had been no equipment malfunction or engineering failure that had revealed the _Sunrider's_ position, there was no reason to believe the PACT and pirate ships had detected their presence given the massive interference from Helion. As it was, the _Sunrider's_ passive sensors could barely make out the PACT and pirate transponders and engine signatures through the noise of Helion's magnetic and radiation discharges even though their ships were fully powered and not even bothering to mask their approach.

To light up _Sunrider's_ main engines and thrusters would be tantamount to announcing their presence to the enemy ships, leaving Kayto with very little in the way of options to avoid confrontation except to hope the _Sunrider_ remained undetected as she was. "Kill all non-essential systems." he ordered. "Drop our power consumption as close to zero as we can go."

"Aye Captain," answered Ava.

Kayto's screen shifted as he watched entire sections of the ship drop off the power grid. Unfortunately, so long as the ship's fusion reactor remained online, there was still the possibility they would be detected by a detailed scan. Taking the reactor offline, however, would mean committing _Sunrider_ to hours of shakedown before they'd be able to safely activate it again, a risk no captain would ever take with enemy forces so close. "Now we wait," he breathed.

The PACT and pirate forces continued creeping forward with the nerve wracking appearance of actively searching for the _Sunrider_. A bead of sweat dripped down Kayto's neck and soaked into the collar of his uniform as he watched the ships drift even closer.

"Enemy ships closing distance. 60,000 kilometers... 50,000 kilometers," announced Ava. "Wait, course correction in enemy fleet; they are now on an intercept course with us."

Kayto gritted his teeth; more bad luck? "Fire maneuvering thrusters, adjust our course point niner by five-three."

"Firing thrusters," responded Ava.

Kayto watched with bated breath as the _Sunrider_ nudged onto a new course trajectory. For a moment nothing seemed to happen and Kayto dared to hope the _Sunrider_ would slip past the patrol unnoticed.

"Alert!" Ava cried. "Enemy craft adjusting vectors to intercept; distance: 40,000 kilometers!"

"Damn!" Kayto punched his command console and started tapping in orders rapid fire. "Red Alert, all hands to battle stations," he barked. "Activate all systems, bring our reactor to maximum output, power shields and weapons! Navigation, prepare for emergency warp to fallback coordinates!"

The CIC went red as alarms blared over the overhead PA system. "Alert, all hands to battle stations! The enemy has detected us, repeat, all hands..." Ava's voice sounded overhead.

The _Sunrider's_ systems powered back up one at a time, restoring the background hum Kayto had gotten so used to for the last several months that he'd barely even noticed it until it was gone. "How the hell did they find us?" he demanded, still punching orders into his console. "The odds of running into a patrol out here are-"

"We're being hailed," said Ava, cutting across Kayto's train of thought.

"Heeheehee..." a very familiar voice sounded beyond smug. "I ffooouuuunnnddd you!"

Kayto felt the entire situation slow and a curious sensation of pitching forward slammed into him, as though he'd been punched in the gut. In an instant, the voice brought back a nightmarish mash of flashbacks, causing his breath to catch and his knuckles to go white as he griped the arm rest of his chair.

"Cosette!" Kayto tried not to sound like he was forcing himself to choke out his words.

Cosette's tiny frame materialized in the CIC, pointing a finger triumphantly at him. She looked, perhaps, a shade madder than she had at Ongess, her barely suppressed fury lashing behind her gray irises. "Captain... you look surprised. Did you really think we hadn't realized you were here? Heh..." Cosette leaned forward, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. "Talk about a slip up; losing your edge? Ongess has a way of doing that to people..."

"You're fighting for the wrong side, Cosette," said Kayto, forcing calm on himself and gathering his strength for one more appeal. "That structure the PACT's building, the Paradox Core, it isn't going to bring galactic peace. The PACT will use it as a weapon of terror-"

"Save it, Captain." Cosette's voice cut across Kayto as she shook her head, clearly unswayed. "I didn't come here to listen to your sniveling; this is the end for you!"

"Ava," Kayto turned to his First Officer as Cosette's avatar swirled away. "How much longer until we can warp?"

Ava consulted her screens. "Spinning up our drives is the easy part, but the gravitational and electromagnetic interference from Helion is going to delay our warp calculations. Engineering is projecting at least 15 minutes until we're ready to warp."

"No choice then," said Kayto, gritting his teeth and bringing up his tactical display. "We'll have to hold off the pirates and PACT long enough to jump. Ava, overlay scans of Helion on the tactical screen."

A second later, the tactical screen became an order of magnitude more complicated as the screen populated with sensor data ranging from temperature ranges, to magnetic field readings, to coronal ejections and solar weather patterns. Even a million kilometers off the surface of the star itself, Helion's corona was a veritable maelstrom of charged particles and magnetic fluxes, to speak nothing of the heat or radiation bombarding the ventral side of the ship.

Although Helion's interference was preventing them from spooling their drives and warping out immediately, ironically enough, it was also their greatest protection against the PACT patrol closing in on them. The storm of radiation, plasma, heat, and magnetism that held them captive would also scramble any of the PACT fleet's attempts to pinpoint their coordinates, making a firing solution for their lasers and cannons nigh impossible at their current range. Furthermore, their ships would be denied use of "smart" weaponry; any missiles with on-board guidance and governing computer systems would be fried as they approached Helion's proximity.

"Captain," Ava's hands blurred as she managed dozens of reports streaming in from all over the _Sunrider_. "All systems powered, awaiting your command. PACT and pirate silhouette profiles paint three PACT battleships, one carrier, two pirate ironhogs, and six cruisers. Shall I scramble our Ryders?"

Kayto eyed the tactical screen. The _Sunrider_ was currently holding steady at one million kilometers above Helion's photosphere while the PACT and Pirate fleet slingshot around Helion "above" the _Sunrider_ , relative to Helion's surface.

"No," he answered with a frown. "We're too close to the corona, there's practically atmosphere out there with the solar wind coming off Helion; it's too risky."

Kayto drummed his fingers as he mulled over their remaining options. If the _Sunrider_ stayed to fight, they might win, but the intelligence on the PACT's Paradox Core was too valuable to risk. If the _Sunrider_ was sunk, the Alliance would lose it's only warning about the PACT doomsday device. "We've got no choice but to turn tail and run from this one. Slew us around at to six four by zero two. Drop our axis two degrees relative to Helion's surface."

"Aye, Captain, preparing for emergency slew" answered Ava, paling. "Be advised, new course heading also puts us dangerously close to the _Sunrider's_ limits. A single solar flare at the wrong time would be catastrophic."

Kayto nodded grimly. "No choice, those battleships have us outgunned. If they get a lock on us, it'll be over even faster. You have your orders Commander."

Ava keyed the ship PA. "All hands, brace for emergency slew. Repeat…"

Turning an entire starship around was not an affair any captain took lightly. The sheer tonnage and inertia of a ship such as the _Sunrider_ made slewing safely a slow process by the very nature of momentum and physics. Ships that attempted to slew too fast risked literally fracturing along their amidship line as the angular momentum of rotating the bow and stern sections of the ship exceeded the tensile strength of the ship's super structure.

Kayto felt his stomach flip as the _Sunrider's_ engines and thrusters fired, making the entire ship's super structure groan. Bracing himself against the acceleration, Kayto felt his body being shoved to the left by the slew as the _Sunrider's_ artificial gravity attempted to compensate with only minimal success. On one of his screens, sections along the ship's spine began flashing a warning yellow, indicating stress levels approaching maximum tolerances.

"Lateral thrusters at maximum!" cried Ava. "Stress levels within tolerances… slew successful! The _Sunrider_ is now coming about at six minutes of arc per second! Permission to cut slew thrusters?"

Kayto gritted his teeth. At that rate, the _Sunrider_ would barely have turned around halfway before the PACT got within shooting range. "Denied. Continue slew acceleration!"

The _Sunrider_ continued to groan ominously; several sections along the amidship line flashed a menacing red.

"Captain!" One of Ava's hands gripped her crash harness, white at the knuckles. "Exceeding maximum stress tolerances! We'll break apart if we continue accelerating!"

Kayto's own hand held his armrest with a vice-grip. More sections began turning red; the amidship sections began flashing urgently. "Flood our emergency hydraulics, maximum pressure!"

"Slewing twelve minutes of arc per second! Hull and ship integrity failing!" Ava's fingers danced over the commands to cut acceleration.

"Just a little more…" Kayto muttered, praying to whatever deity might be listening that the _Sunrider_ would pull through one more time and prove the engineers wrong. Each passing second, however, made the statistical probability of catastrophic failure more likely.

A heartbeat later, his screen suddenly screamed at him in shrill alarm.

"Hull breach detected in sections eight and nine!" screamed Ava.

"Cut slew! Kill all thrusters!" barked Kayto, beads of sweat trickling down his neck, willing his ship to hold together with bated breath.

The uneven acceleration cut out immediately, although the _Sunrider's_ groaning and creaking continued for several nerve-wracking moments. Kayto's screens showed the flashing red sections of his ship stabilize, blinking with a hair less urgency than when their thrusters were still firing.

"Report!"

"Final slew rate of eighteen minutes of arc per second. Ship integrity… holding," Ava let her breath out explosively, swallowing against the pounding of her heart. "Hull breaches isolated, no additional damage detected."

"Holy Ryuvia…" Kayto tried to control his own heart rate and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Coming about on new heading, axis dropping… Captain, PACT ships will enter missile range in three minutes."

Kayto cleared his mind; surviving the risky slew maneuver would be for nothing if the PACT ships managed to let loose with their missiles. Although they would not be able to rely upon a precise firing solution, their sensors would be sophisticated enough to identify the _Sunrider's_ rough location; after that, it would simply be a matter of filling space with as many missiles as they could fire. The _Sunrider_ would use her flak guns to nail as many missiles on intercept trajectories that they could, but it came down to a gamble either way; if chance had it that the PACT fired enough missiles in the right region of space, the _Sunrider's_ flak cannons would only delay the inevitable.

"Capt'n!" Asaga's hologram popped up in the CIC as if she could hear his thoughts. "Permission to launch!?"

"Pilot," Ava's tone was irate. "You've already been ordered to remain on standby. Was something unclear?"

"Capt'n," Asaga appealed to Kayto, ignoring Ava. She stabbed a finger at the tactical screen on her end. "Those PACT battleships and pirate ironhogs have enough missiles to nail us if they were blind. There's no way the _Sunrider's_ flak can handle it alone; let us sortie and help!"

"We're less than a million kilometers from the surface of Helion, Asaga," said Kayto, shaking his head. "There's no way to fly safely out there. One newton of thrust the wrong way and you'll end up tumbling right into Helion itself. And don't even get me started on the heat and radiation." Kayto spared a glance at the _Sunrider's_ hull sensor feed. Even on the other end of their shielding, the ventral hull facing Helion was heating to its limit. Everyone aboard the ship was probably getting more than a healthy tan as well, even through the dozens of meters of hull and radiation shielding.

"We won't be flying, not much anyways," explained Asaga as Kayto quirked an eyebrow. "We'll secure ourselves to the _Sunrider's_ dorsal side. That should block the worse of Helion. Liberty and Bianca will form a concentrated shield bubble for the rest of us. We'll be fine; more importantly, we'll be able to add to the _Sunrider's_ flak network."

Kayto's fingers drummed a beat on his armrest as he considered Asaga's plan. Like some of his own, it sounded insane at first, but on second thought…

" _Sunrider's_ launch tubes are on the ventral side. Your Ryders would fry before they even got halfway to the dorsal side," objected Ava.

"They'll have to use the stern hanger doors, like an emergency landing in reverse," mused Kayto.

"Captain!" Ava's eyes were wide. "We're undergoing emergency slew in extreme environmental conditions. If our pilots are a single degree off their launch windows…"

"We can do it, Capt'n!" insisted Asaga. "Please!"

Kayto hesitated. He'd be risking the death of one or all his Ryder pilots, but denying the sortie and relying solely on the _Sunrider's_ flak would risk the death of all two hundred crew aboard. As usual, the decision came down to nothing more than a gut instinct gamble; Kayto resisted the urge to curse under his breath.

With a world-weary and explosive sigh, Kayto made his decision.

"Sortie approved."

* * *

"All systems go, Black Jack online," called out Asaga on the Ryder chatter channel. All around her, the Black Jack's cockpit screens activated, enveloping her in a 360 degree holo simulation of her surrounding environs. Apart from her control consoles and the two control sticks on her left and right, it was an almost felt like she was floating twenty meters above the ground in air. The chatter channel filled with confirmations as the rest of the _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing checked in.

An alarm blared overhead, signaling the impending depressurization of the hanger and transition to zero gravity; hanger technicians, looking like miniature action figures, ran for their lifts, clearing the floor.

"Detaching from cradle," called out Asaga as the hanger lights turned green to signal free movement for the Ryders.

With a solid thump, the Black Jack released from its docking berth and fired its maneuvering thrusters, drifting out and into the hanger proper. Around her, the other Ryders did the same, roughly lining up into two parallel columns behind her and Icari.

"Alright, listen up girls!" Asaga called out over the comms, smothering the butterflies in her stomach; the others undoubtedly had already grasped the extreme conditions they were about to sortie under and it was her job as CAG to bolster their confidence by example. "The Capt'n needs us to do the dirty work and keep this boat together long enough to warp out. Hope you girls put on sunscreen already."

"Heh, let's get this over with already," said Icari, her avatar grinning in spite of herself.

What traces remained of the hanger's atmosphere flashed away as the chamber depressurized and the hanger doors cracked open. Black Jack's optical filters immediately kicked in, toning down the intense white light from Helion that spilled in as the crack widened. Even through the _Sunrider's_ shield filtered the worse of it, Black Jack's radiation and heat sensors immediately jumped into the red, and they hadn't even gotten outside yet. As the doors widened, the superheated wake of the _Sunrider_ as she plowed through the very edges of Helion's corona whipped into the hanger like a ferocious squall, jostling the Ryders slightly.

"Alright, don't hesitate and you'll be fine!" shouted Asaga through gritted teeth. "Just like this!"

Black Jack's throttle opened up for a moment, launching the Ryder towards the open hanger doors and into the maelstrom of heated plasma. As Asaga cleared the doors, she immediately brought the Black Jack one hundred and eighty degrees about, firing twin grapple cables towards the dorsal surface of the _Sunrider_ and hauling itself up and over towards the safety of _Sunrider's_ shadowed side. Although her alarms shrilled warnings on almost every one of Black Jack's systems, they dropped off to somewhere between dangerous and unacceptable as it entered the protection of _Sunrider's_ shadow.

With a click, the magnetic surfaces of her Ryder's legs secured Black Jack, allowing it to walk somewhat slowly and deliberately, but also reasonably safely. Black Jack took a heavy step forward, sending a thudding clang throughout Asaga's cockpit. Two more grapples fired out, securing Black Jack before the first two released and pulled back in, allowing the Ryder to crab forward. "Heh… What'd I tell ya' Capt'n?" she said gleefully over the comms.

* * *

"Unbelievable…" Ava pinched the bridge of her nose. "Our Ryders are getting into position now, Captain."

Kayto watched the main screen with bated breath as his other five Ryders performed similar maneuvers with varying degrees of grace. Phoenix and Seraphim ascended with a fluid comfort than even the Black Jack had not managed, but Bianca was a different story. As the pink Ryder attempted to hook itself over, one of its grapples misfired, missing the _Sunrider's_ hull entirely and sending the Ryder spinning. Were it not for its own shield projectors and a timely hand from one of Paladin's grapples, Claude and her Ryder would have probably been torched before they could even blink.

"D-damn…" Kayto almost had to clutch his chest as all six Ryders confirmed their safe attachment to _Sunrider's_ dorsal side.

"Capt'n, we're in position," said Asaga, voice and avatar crackling with interference from Helion. "Shields up and safeties off!"

Apparently it was not a moment too soon. "Thermal spikes detected from PACT fleet. They're firing!" cried Ava.

"Flak safeties off! Weapons free!" barked Kayto. "Give me all ahead forward on engines!"

 _Sunrider's_ flak cannons let loose with a blaze of gunfire as the PACT and pirate missiles and torpedoes streaked towards their rough location. With the interference from Helion, even the _Sunrider's_ flak targeting computers were nearly useless. Their advantage, however, was the fact that they needed only to intercept missiles and torpedoes on a predictable intercept path; the rest they could allow to pass given the disabled guidance systems of the PACT and pirate ordinance.

"Seven minutes until warp Captain!" announced Ava, putting up a countdown timer on the main screen as the _Sunrider_ began accelerating, drawing a furious streak of displaced plasma across the outer layer of Helion's corona.

Kayto's fist clenched on his arm rest as he watched the PACT and pirate missiles punch forward, detonating as they hit the _Sunrider's_ flak field. On screens, the _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing had formed a rough semicircle on the dorsal side of the ship. Black Jack, Paladin, and Phoenix fired into the sky, nailing any missiles that slipped through the flak fire and came too close for comfort.

As the _Sunrider_ dived closer to the surface of Helion, the interference and radiation from the star became exponentially more intense, lashing against the ship and Ryder shields mercilessly. Fortunately, the scrambling effect was so profound on the PACT and pirate missiles that Kayto estimated he'd be able to call the Ryder pilots back in no more than a minute or two.

"This isn't so bad," quipped Asaga, letting loose with a short burst from her autocannons. "I was beginning to think-"

"Warning." Sola's blunt voice cut across Asaga remorselessly. "Inbound enemy Ryders."

"Ryders?" Kayto furrowed his brow. "That's insane; Helion's corona… there's no way they'd be able to fly."

A visual uplink from Sola's Ryder opened up on the main screen, showing six PACT Elites burning hard towards the _Sunrider_. Rather than approach from directly above, however, the PACT Elites banked and overshot them, dropping in behind the wake of the ship as it carved through the super-heated plasma of Helion's outer corona.

"Bastards, they're using our own ship to shield them!" muttered Kayto. Although the _Sunrider's_ stern did mount autocannons, the PACT Elites' laser weapons far outranged them, opening up the unpleasant possibility that they would take potshots at the _Sunrider's_ engines. If their engines were to lose power so close to Helion, the _Sunrider_ wouldn't so much as be destroyed by the PACT as be sunk into the star itself.

"Incoming fire!" warned Ava.

"Brace for impact!"

The _Sunrider_ shuddered angrily as the PACT lasers splashed across its crackling shields and penetrated, lancing into their stern and boiling away plates of armor. It was clear from the shots that the PACT pilots were doing their best to nail one of the _Sunrider's_ engine boosters; a single solid hit could potentially be enough to send the entire ship crashing into the sun itself.

"Section twenty three breached, sealing, damage control initiated," reported Ava grimly. "Engines intact."

"Seraphim, moving to engage," said Sola calmly, releasing the Seraphim's grapples and turning towards the stern of the ship.

"Sola!" Kayto activated a private channel with the pilot, realizing her intention. " _Sunrider's_ still accelerating, it's too risky!"

"…" Sola ignored Kayto as she launched the Seraphim from the _Sunrider's_ hull, sweeping towards the stern of the ship with terrifying speed and rising to within a hairbreadth of the deadly coronal plasma that violently churned overhead.

"Damn!" Kayto slammed his fist down on his armrest. "SOLA!"

Seraphim's weapon discharged brilliantly in midair as the Ryder fell backwards from the ship towards its stern. The single shot streaked towards two of the PACT Elites who hit their thrusters to dodge. With the superheated and uneven wake from the _Sunrider_ , however, the maneuver proved to be deadly; both PACT Ryders immediately sheared apart as they pulled too far away from the slipstream, dashed against the veritable wall of plasma and charged particles.

Kayto felt terror seize at his chest; if Seraphim made one wrong move, it would wind up the same as the PACT Ryders.

"I am… a Sharr…" Sola said through gritted teeth, her avatar's face alight with flashing red warnings. Blue light flared from one of her eyes as she uttered the word "Sharr." Firing again, Sola nailed one of the PACT Elites on a stabilizer fin, causing the Ryder to careen into its neighbor, dragging both of them out of the slipstream. For a moment, the two Ryders tumbled before flash vaporizing.

Seraphim's thrusters stuttered in micro-bursts, maintaining its suicidal altitude and adjusting its flight to adapt to even the minutest plasma eddies with inhuman skill. Were it not for the supernatural piloting abilities of the Ancient Ryuvian Sharrs, Kayto knew the Seraphim would have been swept off and destroyed in the _Sunrider's_ chaotic wake the same as the PACT Ryders she'd just dispatched.

"Captain, Seraphim's systems and Sola's vitals are completely red-lining," warned Ava, showing him a screen of Sola's Ryder in virtual shut down, her biomonitors erratic. "There's no way she can keep this up!" As if on cue, Sola's biomonitors shrilled, indicating that the Seraphim's pilot had fallen unconscious.

"Chigara!" Kayto shouted over their comms. "Override Seraphim's systems, get her grounded, now!"

"Yes Captain!" answered Chigara, frantically hacking into Sola's Ryder and taking control over the Seraphim.

Seraphim's grapples fired downwards, anchoring it to the _Sunrider's_ hull and dragging the struggling Ryder out of the slipstream. With a crash, the Seraphim impacted on the _Sunrider's_ hull and bounced upwards slightly, buffeted by turbulence as it trailed from where its grapple cables had embedded into the hull.

"All Ryders, secure yourselves," ordered Kayto with iron in his voice and one eye on the _Sunrider's_ warp clock: three minutes remaining. "Have engineering make ready to pulse our engine output irregularly between full forward and flank speed on my mark."

"Captain, PACT Elites preparing to fire again!" shouted Ava.

"Now! Stutter our engines!" barked Kayto.

 _Sunrider's_ engines began to pulse with an irregular rhythm, adding additional turbulence to the wake of the ship. The remaining two PACT Elites shook as their frames attempted to compensate for the extreme flight conditions, but it was too much. Their stabilizer fins tore off and both Ryders quickly tumbled away from the ship, out of control, before smashing into the solar corona with twin explosions.

"Black Jack and Phoenix," called in Asaga, straining at her controls. "Retrieving Seraphim! All other Ryders dock immediately."

"Come on… come on…" muttered Kayto as the clock dwindled down and he watched his Ryders detach from the _Sunrider's_ hull, leaping into the wake of the ship like leaves peeling off a tree branch in a storm. "Open stern hanger bay!"

One at a time, Liberty, Bianca, and Paladin flitted into the _Sunrider's_ hanger, braving the turbulence and heat in its wake and grappling to safety. Black Jack and Phoenix came next, carrying the stricken Seraphim between them. Severed tethers trailed behind the Seraphim where Black Jack and Phoenix had literally cut Sola's Ryder loose from its moorings in order to retrieve it.

"Tsch… this turbulence…" grunted Icari through gritted teeth as she fought to keep Phoenix's light frame from being torn apart like the PACT Elites.

"On my count," cried Asaga, steadying the Black Jack as well, "Launch tethers and overload thrust output for half a second."

"Roger!"

"Now!"

Black Jack and Phoenix both fired their grapplers into the hanger bay simultaneously. Jamming their control sticks forward, both pilots pulsed their engines throwing their three Ryders forward and into the _Sunrider's_ hanger.

"Ryders retrieved, Captain!" shouted Ava. "One minute to warp!"

"Seal our stern hanger. Alert Medical; get Sola to the sickbay immediately! Prepare to warp on my-"

"Captain!" Ava turned pale. "Additional PACT warp signatures; these readings… i-it's-"

Space twisted apart spectacularly as the distortions from warp transition clashed with Helion's radiation and particle discharge. Kayto felt the entire world slow and a sensation of being slammed backwards, as though punched, an all too familiar ship silhouette teasing out from the rift. " _Legion_ …" he breathed. "Not again!"

"Energy spike detected, she's firing!" cried Ava as alarms began to shrill on the command console.

"HARD TO PORT," bellowed Kayto.

The _Sunrider's_ chemical sidekick activated, brutally slapping the entire ship aside to dodge the _Legion's_ fire. Merciless red laser light scythed towards the _Sunrider,_ most of it missing by mere meters. The _Sunrider_ was not, however, lucky enough to dodge every one of the dozens of anti-ship laser banks the _Legion_ fired upon her with, suffering multiple hits which punched through the armored hull in gouts of flames and vaporizing metal and gas. Consoles and conduits throughout the entire ship overloaded, exploding in showers of sparks and fire. The entire ship shook and groaned, threatening to shatter with the violence of the maneuver and multiple laser impacts.

"EAH!" Ava gasped as the restraints on her command station bit into her shoulders and ribs mercilessly against the turbulence.

"Ugh!" Kayto couldn't help but grunt in pain as his harness pulverized his bones underneath its iron grip. "R-report!"

Ava cradled her right arm to her body at an odd angle, fumbling at her screens clumsily with her left. "Warp drive non-functional, that last shot disabled our nav uplink!" she called out, pale. "Engineering reports fires and catastrophic damage! Loss of atmospheric integrity in sections 32 to 41; unstable vitals from over twenty crew transponders, three missing."

"Damn it," groaned Kayto. "Have damage control bypass; the warp drive is our top priority! Chigara! Get down to engineering immediately; get our warp drives back up now!"

"Yes Captain!" Chigara's voice was strained and panting, audio only, undoubtedly already racing for the _Sunrider's_ engines from the hanger.

"Captain!" Ava's voice was on the edge of cracking. "Additional energy spike detected from the _Legion_! She's firing again!"

The main screen whited out in a brilliant glare that drowned out everything. Kayto felt the entire ship pitch forward and back, explosions rocked the deck, showering the entire CIC with debris as the _Sunrider_ began to come apart around them. With an ear splitting groan, something above Kayto's station gave way and blew up, driving a steel rod downwards in the blink of an eye; his entire right leg suddenly went cold and numb. Before the pain could even reach him, another explosion ripped through the ship, slamming his head into the back of his command station's seat and sending him adrift on an endless sea of white.

* * *

Kayto shivered against the chill radiating from the class room window and plunging its icy fingers through his old fashioned school uniform like it wasn't even there. Snow fell so thickly outside he could barely make out the lights from the school field through the velvety curtains of snowflakes.

"Ugh… we're in trouble now," grumbled Kayto as he eyed his holo. It was almost eight o'clock and he and Ava had, yet again, stayed beyond any reasonable measure of time or reason to fill out mountains of their academy's seemingly endless troves of paperwork. Given the weather outside, the city's transits had probably even stopped working.

"Idiot." Ava didn't even bother to look up from her holo. "Get back to work."

Kayto peered out the window once more; it looked like most of the school's building lights had been turned out, everyone having gone home ahead of the storm. In fact, he wouldn't have been even surprised if the student council room was the only one still lit in the entire academy. With just the two of them and the janitor drones, the entire academy had an abandoned feel to it; even the heat had dialed down to an uncomfortably chilly setting, saving power when no one was even supposed to be in the school.

"Kayto." Ava's voice snapped like a whip. "If you were going to just waste time, why didn't you go home with the others? I told all of you: I don't need slackers."

"Pres," Kayto rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Did it ever occur to you that we'd all have been home by now if you just asked for help from the rest of the council?"

"Help!?" Ava snorted with derision. "They would have just slowed me down. None of them can stop talking long enough to even work for five minutes."

"Well," started Kayto diplomatically. "They're excited about graduation, you can't blame them for that! Speaking of which, why are you even bothering with this stuff? It's not like anyone will read it before you graduate at the end of the week."

"Because Kayto," Ava slammed her hands down on her desk, finally looking up and glaring at him. "We have a duty to uphold the responsibility the student body placed on us no matter how close we get to graduation. The students are counting on us to do our jobs."

"We're supposed to make this school a better place for the students," shot back Kayto, now feeling rising frustration. "How is filling this paperwork out going to do any of that? You know it goes straight from our holos to the principal's trash folder!"

"That's his problem, not mine," answered Ava coolly, looking back down at her holo and getting back to her pointless paperwork.

Kayto sighed explosively. Staying late at school, freezing his backside off, _and_ getting into an argument with Ava; not a great combination. Still, when he looked at her, hunched over her holo, going through the pointless motions of student council presidency, and looking every bit as cold and cranky as he felt, he couldn't help but feel something warm inside him. Whatever else she said, he knew she would be twice as miserable if she were here alone.

"Where are you going?" snapped Ava as he walked to the student council room's door.

"I need a break," said Kayto with resignation, knowing she'd take it as a sign of weakness.

Letting the door close behind him, he walked down the darkened hall of the school towards the vending machines on the other side of the floor. In the silence of the hall, he heard his stomach growl loudly, practically echoing. Of course; typical student council night, they'd forgotten all about dinner. Sometimes, Kayto really wondered what kind of life Ava was leading and whether she was taking care of herself; probably eating instant meals and the like.

Coming to a stop in front of the vending machine, Kayto perused the choices. If the cafeteria were open, he'd at least be able to get them both a hot, cooked meal. The vending machine was a different story. Selecting two instant noodle options, one "beef stew" and one "seafood," Kayto swiped his credit chip, hoping he had enough balance to cover the two meals. Apparently so; the machine chirped pleasantly and whirred, dispensing hot water into the instant noodle bowls with a gurgle before pushing them out on a retractable tray.

Kayto picked the two bowls up, walking back awkwardly, trying not to spill any of the boiling hot soup, but feeling the heat building up on his fingertips with each passing moment.

 _Aarrrgghhh!_ Kayto could swear his fingers were blistering carrying their dinners back to the room.

"Hot, hot, hot!" he gasped, barging back into the student council room and causing Ava to jump.

"W-what-?" Ava's eyes were wide as Kayto practically threw down the two bowls of noodles, somehow managing not to spill any of their contents on the desk they were working on.

Shaking his hands furiously, Kayto rubbed his burned fingertips which had turned an angry shade of red. Still, it seemed like the damage was minor at best; he gave Ava a huge grin, inexplicably proud of having made it back with their dinners intact. "Dinner is served!"

Ava stared at the noodles and his hands for a full minute as Kayto's silly grin began to slide off with uncertainty. Her face suggested she was either about to laugh or… explode at him.

Fortunately it was the former. Ava's face split into a grin of her own and she laughed, the stress and hardness falling from her face like a crumbling mask.

As he watched her shoulders shake and the glow return to her eyes, Kayto knew he would have suffered burns far worse just to see her like this again.

"Idiot…" Ava wiped a single tear of mirth from the corner of her eye, saying the word with unmistakable affection. "…Thanks…"

Kayto nodded and the two picked up their chopsticks and dug in, slurping and eating in silence for several minutes before they looked back up at each other.

Ava's cheeks flushed, and not entirely from the heat of the meal, but she held his gaze nevertheless.

"Hey Kayto?"

"Hmm?"

"There's a heater in that cabinet, top shelf," she said, pointing to one of the storage units in the room.

Obediently, Kayto walked over to the unit and opened it up. Sure enough, a miniature space heater sat at the top. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" he demanded. "I've been freezing this whole time!"

Ava merely shrugged as he plugged the unit in beside them, pulling a seat up next to her so they could both sit in front of the heater. The two sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes, watching the unit's heat coils warm, slowly drifting closer. When her shoulder touched his, he expected her to spring away, but, this time, the gentle pressure stayed.

"Kayto?" Ava turned and looked up at him with her cherry eyes.

"Y-yes?" Kayto's mind seemed to jam; he couldn't remember the last time she'd been so close without her pulling back with a look of anger. He drank in the details of her face, the intense cerise color of her irises, the open, soft expression on her face, his own scared reflection in her eyes, seeing everything and nothing at the same time.

"Do you want to kiss?"

Kayto blinked in surprise. Part of his brain, the more impulsive and, in this case, arguably smarter half, was practically screaming at him to utter one simple word: "Yes." The other half raced in panic, feeling a rising sense of un-reality. What kind of question was that anyways? A trick, surely. Yes, that had to be it. Once again, the brilliant and untouchable Ava Crescentia outmaneuvering her dim-witted and slow companion; messing with his head one final time before shipping off to space.

As if she could see and hear the conflict swirling behind his eyes, Ava rolled her own. "Idiot."

Without waiting, she reached up and put a hand to the side of his face, guiding him down as she surged upwards, firmly planting her lips on his own.

Kayto's eyes widened in shock; her hand caressed his cheek gently as she pushed against him harder, deepening the kiss. Her warm scent enveloped him and the tenderness and softness of her lips pushed all doubt and thought from his mind. Kayto wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer as he parted her lips with his tongue.

Ava seemed to resist for a moment, but ultimately relented, opening and allowing his tongue to probe deeper. "Mmoouu," Ava made a satisfied sound most unlike herself before pulling back and fixing him with a stare.

"Ava…" Kayto tried not to sound too breathless or hoarse.

Before he could say anything and without warning, Ava got up and sat on him, straddling him at the waist and grabbing his face with both her hands, kissing him fiercely and deeply, refusing to allow him up longer than a split second, even for air.

How long the two of them remained locked together drinking in each other's scents and tastes, neither of them knew nor cared. Eventually, however, Kayto came back to his senses somewhat, finding himself experiencing a very specific sensation of pressure and longing. With some distant sensation of horror, Kayto realized Ava could probably feel it too; but it was far too late to stop it.

Ava broke their kiss, pulling back and blushing deeply as he gave himself away. But it was a hesitant delight that crept over her face rather than the fury Kayto had half-expected. She ground her hips downwards into him mercilessly, smiling coquettishly as he groaned.

Unable to restrain himself, Kayto's hands began scrabbling at Ava's school uniform. Ava's own hands swiftly caught his wrists and pinned them down.

"Here? Really?" she whispered. "We're still in school, idiot."

"You want to walk back home in that blizzard? Be my guest," he shot back, not missing the hungry expression on her face.

Ava looked embarrassed. "Fine. But at least put down some blankets."

"We had blankets!?" Kayto felt a fresh surge of annoyance until the more simple minded part of his brain beat the whiny half into submission.

"Left cabinet, middle," answered Ava, somewhat breathlessly as she climbed off to let him up.

Sure enough, Kayto found a stack of thick, cozy blankets mocking him as he opened the storage unit. Grabbing them, he spread them out over the floor as makeshift bedding. "Not bad," he commented, sitting down on the blankets, "I-"

"Shut up," Ava pushed him down and got back on top, grinding down on him with a pitiless expression on her face as he strained beneath her. Swooping down, she smothered his groan of pleasure with her mouth and ran her fingers through his light hair.

* * *

 **CONTENT OMITTED: Please go to** ** **the official Sunrider Novelization webpage or the Sunrider forums** for the unedited version if you are of appropriate age and wish to read the chapter with all original adult content.**

* * *

The heat of the moment bled away and as he continued to run his free hand over her every curve, unable to get enough, the unwelcome sensation from earlier crept back into his chest. Suddenly, the cruelty of her departure to space intensified an order of magnitude worse than he'd ever felt it. He pushed himself up onto his elbows as Ava made a small huff of annoyance, adjusting her bare body to fit alongside his more comfortably.

More than anything, he wanted to say something, to find a combination of words that would make her stay. The words were almost on the tip of his tongue, but… destiny. As much as Ava denied destiny, he knew with absolute conviction at that moment, that there was no stopping her from leaving. And in that instant of clarity, his own destiny seemed to sear into his soul, equally absolute. He could not stop her from leaving Cera, but he would be damned if he let himself lose her now.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to enlist too," he said, not sure if she could still hear him.

"Hmm?" Ava mumbled sleepily, although one of her eyes opened and fixed him with a mixed look of affection, sadness, and conflict.

"This isn't the end. I'll enlist next year for the CSF," Kayto declared more firmly. "No matter where you go, I'll be one step behind you. We'll meet each other again in space one day. I promise."

Ava's eyes were fully open now as she looked up into his face as though unsure whether or not to take him seriously.

"Captain Crescentia and First Officer Shields; it'll be just like things are now. I promise I'll never stop following you until we're together again." Kayto felt her heart pounding against his chest through her breast, beating in unison with his own. He etched the moment into his memory forever; no matter how long it took, he'd never go back on this promise.

"Heh..." Ava snorted gently, pushing him back down beside her and wrapping herself around him, pulling a blanket over their bare skin.

"Idiot…" she whispered, entwining her fingers in his all the same.

* * *

The scene swirled away until he was standing under the bright glare of the Ceran sun. He looked to the skyline one last time as the shuttle behind him powered up its engines, whipping the air around them into a frenzy.

' _It's beautiful'_ he thought, taking in the modern grace and aesthetics of Cera City. Taking a deep breath, Kayto filled his lungs with the crisp morning air, as though to take the memories and experiences he'd made in that city with him to space.

It had been longer than he'd expected he'd need to keep the promise he made years ago, but today, despite everything else that was happening around him, he was as thrilled as he was anxious about his reunion with Ava. After so long, it was hard to tell what would change and what would remain the same, but the promise, his promise, that was the one thing he knew was still the same.

"Captain! Control has cleared us for launch, but we can wait a moment if you like, Sir!" barked a nervous young shuttle pilot, barely younger than himself, saluting aggressively as he walked up from behind.

Kayto felt a sinking feeling. His holo had chirped an hour ago, reading: "Kayto, traffic coming into the city is unbelievable; I don't think I'm going to make it to see you off. You're a hero now. You always have and will always make your little sister proud. Maray." Even so, he'd held onto the thin, gossamer hope that she might through some miracle arrive with enough time for him to give her one final embrace before going into space.

"Thank you, ensign," said Kayto, smiling artificially as he turned, and following the pilot towards the shuttle's bat-like form as it crouched over the landing pad. "That won't be necessary, my sister did say it was unlikely she'd make it to see me off. Let's not hold anyone else up." Ducking under the overhead door of the shuttle, he strapped himself into a crash seat in the empty passenger compartment behind the pilot's seat.

A moment later, he heard the engines of the shuttle scream to life, ponderously lifting the craft off the landing pad and into the air. As he looked out the holoscreen masquerading as a window of an atmospheric craft, a white haired teenage girl burst onto the landing pad, squinting against the sudden bright of the sun, laughing and smiling with tears in her eyes, waving and reaching out to his shuttle as it screamed upwards, whipping her long hair backwards in its wake. As her azure eyes found his, Kayto felt his vision blur slightly, throat thickening. Kayto, smiling in equal parts happiness and sadness, touched the screen gently, sending distortion ripples through the holographic projection.

 _Take care of yourself, Kayto, we'll talk when you get back!_

She was his beloved sister, his oldest and closest friend. He would miss her with all his heart.

 _Maray…_

* * *

Hellfire spilled forward, drowning out everything else as the _Legion's_ laser scythed across the remnants of the Ceran fleet and towards the bright blue jewel that was Cera behind them. Cera City, no more than a gray-silver smudge at their distance, vanished in a single burst of brilliant, hard red light. Kayto watched in horror and slow motion as the largest metropolis on the planet caught fire and vaporized before the _Legion's_ might. As the red light burn a crater that would forever mark the planet below, Kayto felt a part of himself die, his soul no less permanently etched and scarred by the same laser than his home below. A cloud blasted upwards into the atmosphere as the beam flickered away, the ash and dust of the entire city and its ten million inhabitants thrown into the wind in a single, paralyzing moment of horror. Molten rock and metal jetted hundreds of feet into the air as the entire peninsula was reduced to nothing more than a glowing, cherry-red crater marking the death of everything Kayto had ever held dear.

Memories, unbidden, came flashing forward. Maray pelting a snowball at him. The first time he'd heard her perform in a concert hall, his heart tearing with pride as she serenaded hundreds. Ava sitting with one leg up on a desk, radiant in the setting sun. The dark and cold they'd staved off together in the student council room, wrapped in each other and the blankets. Waking to find that Maray texted his holo to let him know she'd fibbed to their parents and covered for his absence from home that night. Maray waving to him one last time, tears in her face. All of it vanishing and crumbling into dust and ash in a single moment as the _Legion_ scorched the planet and people he'd sworn to protect with his own life. Everything.

Slumping forward in his chair, Kayto felt his hands shake and tasted bile in his mouth.

"What are your orders, Captain? CAPTAIN?!" screamed Ava.

As her wild gaze locked his, he saw a single tear tracking its way down the side of her face.

No… not everything… He still had her.

* * *

 _AVA!_

Kayto bolted upwards, gasping and breathing as though he'd been underwater for the last hour. The bright lights in his face seemed to dim as the world came rushing back; dimly he realized he had been laying on a bed and registered the sound of voices too indistinct to understand. As his scattered mind pulled itself back together, recognition that he was in the _Sunrider's_ medical bay filtered in and the rest of the world came into focus.

"He's awake!" Icari's voice came from his left.

Kayto turned to look at her; the mercenary looked haggard, but relief brought some life back to her emerald eyes. Behind her, Claude's pale face swam into focus, looking shell-shocked and fatigued.

"You did it, doc," said Icari, not bothering to hide the surprise from her voice, putting a hand gratefully on Claude's shoulder.

"Heh…" Claude stuck her tongue out and mashed a fist into the side of her head, regaining some of her usual absent-minded charm.

A huge sniffing sound came from his right; Chigara, tears streaming down her face, gripped the railing of his bed so tightly her knuckles were marble white. "C-captain... you're alive..."

Kayto blinked and looked around. The medical bay was a complete mess. Medical supplies and tools lay scattered on bloody trays. Drops of blood on the floor led to and from Claude's operating theater; all of the medical bay's medichine treatment tubes were a dark shade of crimson, testifying to severity of the injuries they had been used to treat. The other beds in their recessed berths in the bay seemed to be occupied; with a sinking feeling, Kayto saw several white cryo-caskets next to some of the beds.

"Ava?" he croaked, trying to sit up.

Ava came into view from behind Chigara, her arms crossed and face pale.

"Your arm?" he asked.

"Just a dislocation," said Claude soothingly, making way for Ava and turning to check his vitals on a monitor.

Ava sighed as she came closer, nodding her thanks to Claude, her usual scowl towards the doctor replaced with something almost like respect, albeit grudging.

"What happened?" asked Kayto, struggling to pull his fragmented memories together and failing miserably.

"Massive damage reported in all sectors, Captain," Ava said grimly. "I honestly thought they had us, but..." Ava nodded at Chigara. "Chigara somehow managed to get our warp drives back online. We escaped. Engines are shot and our drift was significant, but we'll limp back to the fallback coordinates in time to rendezvous with the Alliance." Ava took a deep steadying breath before she gave him the bad news. "Twenty three wounded, six dead. Fortunately, it appears you were not amongst them."

Kayto expected to feel horror and sorrow for the loss, but Ava's words barely seemed to penetrate the numb of his body and mind. Slumping back into the bed, he stared at the ceiling, refusing to meet anyone else's eyes.

Claude straightened, a look of worry on her face as she regarded him. "Alright, all of you, out. This man's just been through five hours of intensive surgery and medichine submersion. He needs rest."

Shooing them out and pointing a finger of surprising authority at the medical bay's door, Claude ushered the others out of the room before coming back and pulling the curtains shut on Kayto's berth.

"...Thanks," muttered Kayto.

"Captain." Claude's voice sounded uncharacteristically serious.

"I'm sorry; it must have been hell here." said Kayto, grimacing as he pushed himself up on his elbows again.

Claude sighed. "As the Commander said, twenty-three casualties of varying severity. Mostly burns and lacerations, a few more serious," Claude took a deep breath, "Six dead on arrival... and you."

"How bad was I?"

"You had a steel rod five centimeters in diameter going through your common femoral artery," answered Claude bluntly. "By the time they cut you free and brought you down here, you were almost in cardiac arrest from the blood loss. I had to operate manually to remove what was left of the rod, which was the only thing keeping you from bleeding to death, and stabilize you before we could submerge."

Kayto lifted the sheets to see a fresh welt of raw, regenerated tissue over his upper thigh. The margins were razor straight and clean; perhaps he'd misjudged Claude's medical expertise after all. "Thanks… Doc."

With a deep sigh, Claude put on a goofy face in an almost convincing show of carefree happiness. "Oh! One more thing, Captain~" Claude reached down her front.

"Claude…" Kayto said with warning in his voice, not in the mood for any of her antics.

Ignoring him, Claude pulled out a folded piece of paper from between her breasts, holding it out to him. A huge grin was spread across her face, but did not quite make it to her lavender eyes which remained disconcertingly grave and serious as she stared at him.

Kayto plucked the paper from her fingers as though it were radioactive.

"Doctor's orders," said Claude, turning and flaunting out of his berth to attend to her other patients.

Kayto unfolded the paper, an old fashioned prescription print out from Claude's holo.

 _RX: Talk to_ S _omeone_.

* * *

Kayto walked back into his quarters after being discharged against medical advice from the medical bay. Claude had protested, pointing out that he'd just been through more than five hours of surgery on his leg and medichine submersion, but after the day's events, Kayto was in no mood for argument.

As the doors opened, he walked in with only a hint of a limp, looking at the mess and chaos of his office and quarters with dismay. Books, papers, the models and souvenirs he'd collected lay strewn all over the floor with shattered glass and pieces of the ceiling. Sighing heavily, Kayto crunched through the mess, too exhausted to do anything about it for now. Even if he felt like it, it would probably take the better part of a day to get the mess sorted out. Giving up, he gave his office chair a half-hearted brush to clear the worse of the debris off it before collapsing into it with a groan.

Pain shot from his leg, coursing upwards through his spine and joining the throbbing at his temple. Rubbing his temple and gritting his teeth, Kayto waited for the pain to subside into a dull pounding discomfort in the background.

 _Bing Bing_

Kayto's door opened, admitting Ava to his office.

"Captain," Ava's eyes took in the wreckage of his office without surprise. Marching up to his desk, she swept aside some pulverized glass and dust before setting her holo down and turning it to face him. "A full damage report from our last engagement."

Kayto accepted the holo with a long face, banishing the pain from his awareness as he flicked through the report. Engineering reports, combat reports, he scrolled past all of it until he found what he was looking for.

"Lynu KIA, Enicridge wounded, Arturia KIA, Von amputated..." he muttered, scrolling through the list of casualties and forcing himself to try to remember each and every one of their faces. Clenching his teeth, he fought against the temptation to throw the holo. "Overtask our repair drones and crews. I want everyone working around the clock. Get this ship operational ASAP," he ordered, struggling to keep his voice calm. "Once the Alliance gets here, we'll hit the _Legion_ with everything we have. We're going to sink that ship and end this. Once and for all."

"Captain," Ava's tone was blunt as she crossed her arms, looking at him as though he were delusional. "You cannot mean to take the _Sunrider_ into battle again. More than half our systems are offline, the hull's barely holding together as it is. We're in no condition to fight and you know it. We can sit this one out; let the Alliance handle it."

Kayto rose from his chair suddenly, violently throwing it out of the way. Pain shot through his leg again, causing him to stagger and clutch the corner of the desk for support. "No," he gasped through the pain as Ava started, looking shocked. "No! We sink that ship..."

"Captain." Ava glared at him as he breathed hard.

"I'm ordering you, Commander. We. Sink. That. Ship." Kayto said in a dangerously calm voice, straightening as best he could, his leg still smarting and trembling.

Ava looked at Kayto with defiance and anger in her eyes. "What's come over you, Kayto?" she demanded. "This isn't like you!"

Kayto felt his blood boiling; his hands trembled and he curled them into fists. Pounding one on the table, he felt himself shout, "Every Time! When it appeared over Cera, we retreated! When it chased us on Ryuvia Prime, we retreated! When it came at us on Far Port, we let it go! I Have Had It. We will not retreat this time. We will not let it escape. That ship... killed ten million of our people. Sank our entire fleet. Destroyed Our World. NO MORE. Even if we die doing it, We Will Sink It!" Kayto gulped air like he'd just run several miles, letting his burning gaze find Ava's. "It's taken everything from me! And I will not let it take more!"

"KAYTO!" Ava's voice snapped like a whip as she delivered a swift, stinging slap across his cheek.

Kayto staggered, holding a hand to the burning sensation on his cheek as he reeled. He stared at Ava's furious gaze for what felt like a full minute, the two of them breathing hard with emotion, before crumpling, the fight draining out of his body.

"I-I'm sorry." Kayto felt himself regain control. "I was wrong... it hasn't taken everything."

"Kayto..." Ava started with warning in her voice.

"I still have you." Kayto looked up into her face, ignoring the warning. "Don't I?"

Ava said nothing, still glaring.

"Heh..." Kayto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I remember the real reason why I never left our old student council. It wasn't because of something stupid like wanting to help the student body or getting new uniforms." Opening his eyes again, Kayto looked to Ava with sincerity in his gaze. "It was... because I couldn't stand the thought of being away from you."

"I know, Kayto." Ava's eyes flickered away as her face softened. "I knew the whole time."

"And here we are again," Kayto said, walking around his desk to her. "Side by side. Fighting for a good for nothing cause to nowhere..." Kayto stopped as he and Ava stood facing each other an arm's length apart. "You are the only family I have left."

Ava crossed her arms, still refusing to make eye contact as she looked away. "Stop it..." she said quietly, face hardening with each passing moment. "You're the captain of this ship! You can't afford to let your emotions control you! You… We have a duty! The preservation of this ship!" Ava's voice turned cold. "This isn't the time."

Kayto's chest tightened, squeezing the breath out of him. He felt her slipping from his outstretched hand, falling further away. No. He had to do something. He had to say what he'd meant to say all those years ago, before it was too late.

"It's... you. You're the one I've always loved, Ava."

"I..." Ava's eyes came back to his, shining with moisture and her cheeks tinging pink almost imperceptibly.

Kayto held his breath, daring to believe for a moment that they would finally be together again; just like old times.

"..."

The silence stretched, looming over the two.

"I-I'm sorry, Captain."

Something broke in Ava's voice and her eyes closed off to him like a door slamming shut in his face.

"W-what?" Kayto could barely force himself to utter the word hoarsely, staring at Ava with wide eyes.

"I cannot." Ava's voice was now cold and firm.

"But..." Kayto felt mounting desperation well in his chest. "Our promise..."

Tears gathered in the corners of Ava's eyes, but she kept her arms crossed and met his pleading gaze with her hard eyes. "I have no recollection of what you may be referring to, Captain."

"I..." Kayto felt something in his chest crumble away, spilling a torrent of numbness throughout the rest of his body. "I see." He stared blankly at Ava, her words echoing endlessly in the hollow silence of his heart. "Very well, Commander. Ready our battle plans; we strike the _Legion_."

"Kay-..." Ava struggled with herself for a moment before swallowing hard and blinking fiercely, clearing her eyes. She snapped her arm up in a salute. "Understood, Captain."

Without another word, she turned on her heel, walking straight past him and out his door, the plaster and glass on his floor crunching underneath her soles.

As he watched her brown hair whip around the corner and disappear, Kayto crumpled, staggering down the stairs and into his living space.

"Computer, play audio media: _Maray__ _."_

The sound of Maray's last concert filtered into the air, a lone violin playing plaintively and sorrowfully in the background. _Silver Rain_.

Turning one of his chairs upright and sinking into it, Kayto tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling, unseeing as Maray's final performance carried him away.

* * *

"...Captain?"

Chigara stuck her head into Kayto's quarters, a hopeful expression on her face. "Are you there?"

No reply came and she crept in tentatively with mounting worry. Claude had said he'd returned to his quarters, had he left since?

Continuing inwards, her sapphire eyes found him, slumped in the chair in his living space, staring blankly at the ceiling. "A-are you alright?" she asked hesitantly, stopping atop the stairs.

"...Yeah... I'm sorry." Kayto snapped back from wherever he'd been, his eyes clearing marginally as he blinked and saw her. "Come in. Sorry about the mess."

Chigara walked down the stairs slowly as Kayto picked himself up off the chair.

Instinctively, Kayto went to the tea set they'd shared previously. Opening the cabinet, he merely watched as a shower of porcelain shards and fragments poured out, smashing onto the floor and splintering even further. The tea set, one of the last keepsakes of his family that he had, lay shattered in a million pieces.

Kayto felt tears spring to his eyes, clouding his vision. Shoulders shaking he took a deep, shuttering breath, face burning with humiliation as he fell to his knees on the floor beside what was left of the tea set.

"NO!" Kayto yelled in anguish as he picked up a handful of fragments, past caring as their sharp edges cut into his palm with a warm, wet feeling.

He threw the fistful of fragments away, the sound of the fine china shattering a distant sound to his ears. Curling his bloody hand into a fist, he punched the floor as hard as he could, feeling his knuckles split with burning pain.

"C-Captain!?" Chigara's voice came from afar, frightened sounding, but her soft hands took his shoulders, turning and pulling him back upwards to the light.

Kayto felt his eyes burn as she took him into embrace. With a tortured gasp, he let her pull him close, his arms coming around and holding onto her as he drowned in sorrow and loss.

Chigara brought her hands together, pressing them to his chest and finding the beating of his heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she leaned in, holding her head to his chest and willing him to share his burden, to take what he needed from her. As a hot tear splashed down on her hair and his arms gripped her tightly, she knew she would give him anything, anything at all. "What's the matter?" she asked plaintively.

"It's taken everything...!" Kayto's shoulders shook as much as his voice. "Absolutely Everything...!"

Chigara felt her heart splitting open as she nuzzled into his chest. She was not fool enough to think that he was only referring to the tea set at this point. Even after losing so much, this man, her Captain, had carried the burden of their safety and duty without fail, without complaint. But even now, as he fell to pieces, broken and clutching her like a dying man, she thought no less of him. He was her Captain. "Shhhh..."

"...Nothing's left..."

"Everything's alright, Captain..." whispered Chigara, reaching up to cup his face and wipe away a stray tear on his cheek with her soft, dainty hands. "Chigara's here..."

"No..." Kayto gasped, the pain raw in his voice. "I... abandoned her... I watched it kill her before my very eyes... and I ran...! I fled! I... It's my fault! I failed her... when she needed me most..."

"Shhh..." Chigara pulled his head down to her, cradling him protectively as she pushed him down on the chair, joining him at his side, their two bodies pressed together. "Your order that day saved the lives of everyone on this ship... You gave the only order you could to save lives that day."

If her words had any impact on him, they seemed lost to the sea of suffering and guilt he'd been swept out to. "Now... I have nothing left..." Kayto went limp in her arms. "No home to return to... no family to care for... Everything in my past, turned to ash..."

"No." Chigara let some firmness enter her soft voice as she stroked his hair. "You have your ship. You have your crew. We're your home and family now." Chigara felt the pounding of his heart begin to slow as she held him, comforting him. "You have me."

Chigara watched a flicker of life come back into his eyes as she caressed him tenderly. "You... never cried when your sister died..." she said, her heart ready to rend as she thought on the burden he'd carried for so long behind the smiles and confidence for their sake. "It's alright Captain," she said with love in her voice. "You don't have to hide with me anymore. Your secret's safe with me. Let yourself cry. Let yourself grieve. I'm here now."

Kayto's arms clutched hers as his squeezed his eyes shut, letting the tears flow free for the first time and letting the sobs wrack his body unfettered as Chigara held him to her breast, wrapped around his shoulders. "Chigara...!"

Chigara simply held him as he grieved, letting the pain and poison flow freely. She held his hands in her own, letting what comfort and warmth she could give flow to him.

"I... I know I'll never be able to replace everything you lost..." she said as Kayto's tears and emotions began to finally exhaust themselves. "But... I'll always be here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it."

Chigara turned him to look into his eyes. "I promise."

* * *

Ava stood at the sink in her quarter's washroom, clutching the cold porcelain sides with her hands as she hunched over it, trembling. She retched, tasting bitterness, but nothing came from the dry heave. Trembling, she looked up at herself, seeing a stranger staring back at her.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why now?"

A sharp, burning pain seared across her back; almost causing her knees to buckle in agony. Crying out, she held onto the sink to keep herself from falling on the floor.

Eyes swimming with tears, she kept staring at her reflection, seeing the scared face of a teenager looking back down at her. Behind her, a man, back rigid and straight, powerful, radiating purpose and duty. The man who'd taught her the only way to live that she'd ever known. Her father.

Ava felt another sting across her back between her shoulder blades, branding itself deep into her.

"I didn't..." she ground out through clenched teeth. "I didn't..."

Pulling herself up, she forced her legs to steady and bear weight once more. "I didn't."

Fiercely, she wiped her eyes and spat into the sink, as though to rid herself of the moment of weakness.

She'd done it for his own good. So that he'd put duty first. So that he'd put Cera and the millions on it first. Single lives weighed against millions. She'd done the only thing she could to ensure the needs of the many outweighed their own. It was the right thing to do. The only thing to do.

' _When there are over a trillion of us, no one individual matters,'_ her father's voice was absolute, allowing no argument.

Wiping her lips, Ava washed her hands and dried them on a towel before hurtling the towel at her own reflection. Turning away and swallowing against the thickening of her throat, she walked out and slammed the door behind her.

She had her orders. And right now, that was all that mattered.


	27. The Mask of Arcadius

**Readers, as you're likely well aware, this is the final chapter from me for now. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your kind words, encouragement, and readership these last few months and I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing and sharing with all of you. Thank you so much for sticking with me. To those of you who left reviews, I thank you again; getting feedback and hearing from you is one of the biggest motivations I have for writing this, so it's really thanks to you for keeping me going.**

 **The natural question is whether or not I will be novelizing Liberation Day. I can firmly say that it is fully my intention to do so once the final product is released, although I expect there will be a delay period for obvious reasons. I'll also say that you may be seeing another writing project from me in the Sunrider Universe much sooner. I won't spoil the surprise for now, but I can say keep your eyes peeled on the main site and Love in Space's site for an official announcement.**

 **Please enjoy, I will see you all for Liberation Day.**

* * *

Kayto walked to the CIC, striding to his command station with grim determination on his face.

Limping to the fallback coordinates, the _Sunrider_ had successfully rendezvoused with the Alliance Combined Fleet at the edge of the Helion system. Illuminated under scores of brilliant blue starship drives, the _Sunrider's_ wounds were bare for all to see, a testament to their harrowing escape from Helion and the PACT. Ever since the _Sunrider_ had rendezvoused, there had been a tension, a palpable electricity to the air, the gravity of the coming battle weighing on everyone's shoulders. The CIC crew hushed with Kayto's entry but recovered quickly, snapping to with the efficiency and dedication he'd come to count on them for.

"Commander," he said, dropping into his station and bringing up his screens without a sideways glance. "Status Report."

"Repairs completed to our hull and systems," answered Ava tersely, forwarding the relevant details to his station from her screens.

Kayto saw that the _Sunrider's_ readings were miraculously restored across all sectors. Chigara, her engineering team, the _Sunrider's_ repair drones, and the Combined Fleet's assistance had worked nothing less than a miracle bringing their ship back from the grave on such short notice.

"We're green for combat operations, full functionality," continued Ava. "Barely."

"Good work; give me the battle plan one more time," ordered Kayto, nodding appreciatively, tapping his screens and manipulating his command controls.

"Aye," Ava brought up schematics of the _Legion_ on the main screen. "Our Chief Engineer has analyzed all combat data and scans of the _Legion_ to date and believes she has found a weakness inherent to the design of the ship itself."

The schematic zoomed out, showing diagrams of the _Legion's_ hull.

"The _Legion_ is plated with enough heavy armor to render most conventional weapons moot. However, there is one aspect of the ship that lacks this heavy armor; the primary laser shaft running down the spine of the ship. A Vanguard shot directly down the primary laser shaft of the _Legion_ could, in theory, penetrate unimpeded all the way to its primary reactor core. The destabilization and destruction of the core by a Vanguard shot would create an ensuing chain detonation sufficient to destroy the entire ship from inside out."

Kayto watched as the simulation showed the _Sunrider_ flying straight at the _Legion's_ primary weapon, firing a shot along its midaxis and destroying it.

"So..." he felt his pulse quicken. "The only way to kill this thing is to fly right in front of its biggest gun and shove a Vanguard down its craw." He snorted softly. "Absolutely insane. Operation Approved."

"Sir." Ava saluted but her voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "The Alliance Combined Fleet has been made aware of our intentions; they've agreed to the operation. Admiral Grey and the bulk of the Alliance fleet will engage the PACT forces in the Helion system. Once there, the Combined Fleet will feed us tactical data of the battle for a pinpoint warp transition. The Second Fleet has volunteered to act as our escort; once the rest of the Combined Fleet has entangled the PACT defense fleet, we will jump as close as we can to the _Legion's_ position. The Second fleet will assist us in breaking through PACT lines and screen our approach to take our shot at the _Legion_. The operation will commence in ten minutes."

"Very good, Commander." Kayto triggered the PA on his chair, addressing the _Sunrider's_ crew on the precipice of battle and imminent death once again. "All hands, this is the captain speaking."

"Momentarily, we will engage the PACT super-dreadnought _Legion_ and the Paradox Core. This coming battle will not be easy." Kayto looked around his CIC fixing each officer with a steely glare. "I will not mince words with you. We all lost people close to us because of that ship. In a flash, a split second, it took away our homes. Our families. Our lovers."

Kayto swallowed. "I know this mission has not been easy. It has not been easy for me. It has not been easy for any of you. But there is one thing the _Legion_ will never take from us. Hope. Hope that we will rebuild what we lost. Hope that we will live another day to love one another and rise from the ashes of this war to be stronger than before. Because of this hope, we Will Not give into despair. The PACT may destroy our cities and raze our homes, terrorizing us with weapons the galaxy has never known, but we WILL rebuild what we have lost."

Kayto took a shuddering breath, feeling every eye on him and his entire crew hanging on his every word. "We WILL win this battle for Cera. For the memories we hold dear of our home. For those who we lost, just so that we could make it to this day. Together, we end the terror that the _Legion_ has wrought upon us. We send that monstrosity back to the hellfire from which it came."

Pounding his arm rest and feeling emotion well up in his chest, Kayto finished his speech. "So that the galaxy will see a new day dawn. A day free of the terror of madmen and tyrants that we have known. A day when we go home, to rebuild and reclaim our lives. A day as bright as our memories of Cera."

The bridge crew slowly stood, applauding, solemnly at first, but with increasing strength and determination. There was no cheering, no jubilation, only cold focus and resolve etched on each and every crew member's face.

"Engineering, we're at your command, Captain!"

"Weapons, awaiting orders, Captain!"

"Navigation, the helm is yours, Captain!"

"Damage Control, standing by, Captain!"

Every department and branch of the ship called in, their chiefs speaking over the solemn applauding of crew in the background as they affirmed the ship's readiness and determination to see the act done.

* * *

"That's our Captain!" cheered Asaga, punching a fist into the air as she led the _Sunrider's_ Ryder pilots down the hall towards the hanger.

"Eh-heh..." Chigara put a hand on her bosom, feeling warmth well up in her chest as she heard Kayto's voice, strong, overhead.

"Heh..." Icari gave a gallows grin, tossing her long hair over her shoulder with a glimmer in her eyes. "He hasn't lost it yet..."

"ATENNNHUT!" Kryska saluted the nearest PA speaker in a show of respect, pride shining in her honey eyes.

"Captain~!" Claude swooned unabashedly.

"...Captain..." Sola's closed a fist delicately over her chest, feeling her cheeks heat as she spoke so softly it was doubtful anyone could hear.

* * *

All around the _Sunrider_ , the emerald ships of the Alliance powered up, their bright blue engines pulsing with power as their warp drives spooled up.

"Captain," Ava's hands danced over her screens as she coordinated the CIC. "The Alliance has commenced their attack! The Combined Fleet is jumping to warp!"

Kayto steeled himself, sweeping aside any doubts or apprehension as he assumed command of his ship. "Spool up our own drives, prepare for pinpoint warp on my mark!"

Hundreds of Alliance cruisers and frigates divided into wolf-packs of twelve, dozens of the largest _Machiavelli_ -class battleships the Alliance had in service, an equal number of carriers, each representing hundreds of Ryders, all tore holes into the fabric of space as they eased into warp, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. They would reappear as close to Helion as their warp drives would allow, undoubtedly immediately coming under fire from the waiting PACT defenders for one of the fiercest battles of the campaign so far.

Grimly, Kayto awaited the crucial information the Sunrider and her escort ships were depending upon. The seconds ticked past on the combat clock with agonizing slowness.

"Captain!" Ava's head snapped up as communications received a transmission several painful minutes later.

On the main screen, a static filled image of an Alliance captain he'd never made acquaintances with came into focus. Blood wept from a gash on his forehead and his entire CIC was obscured with smoke and showers of sparks. He clutched a hand against the spreading darkness on the green of his uniform, struggling to be heard over the alarms and explosions aboard his ship.

" _Sunrider_ , be advised, heavy PACT resistance..." the image dissolved into static for a moment before snapping back. "-been fully engaged. We're embedding coordinate data on the PACT fleet and transmitting now. Good-" A brilliant flash cut off the Alliance captain and the transmission broke up again, refusing to come back.

"Tell me we got the data!" barked Kayto, a cold, heavy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, Captain!" cried the CIC officer at the communications station. "Feeding to engineering and the Second Fleet now!"

"Drives spooled, Alliance ships indicate ready, we are green for warp on your mark," said Ava grimly as the main screen brought up a tactical view of the battle based on the late Alliance ship's telemetry.

The entire PACT fleet had become entangled with the Alliance forces, both sides having completely broken formation as they engaged in a bloody melee with one another. The Legion held back slightly from the bulk of the PACT fleet, undoubtedly aligning itself to deliver devastating laser strikes against vulnerable Alliance ships at range. Although a reserve PACT fleet guarded it, it seemed the majority of their front line forces had been successfully pulled away by the Alliance offensive. It was as close to favorable conditions as they could have ever hoped it would be.

"Engage warp drives, MARK!"

The Sunrider pushed into darkness, reappearing moments later with Helion's harsh light pouring in through the main screen. Around her, the Alliance cruiser escorts also dropped out of warp, pulling into formation and establishing a perimeter around the _Sunrider_. Behind them, space teased apart as the rest of the Second Fleet came crashing through to join the fray. The fleet's heavily modified _Machiavellis_ dropped out of warp surrounded by attendant cruisers. Unlike their sister ships, their hulls showed signs of extensive and emergency refit; the entire front of the ship had been converted with an oversized spinal kinetic cannon that ran the entire length of the ship unlike the twin cannons their more conventional sister ships utilized. Firing black ore tipped slugs, the modified _Machiavellis_ were probably the deadliest ships the Alliance had ever fielded, capable of even penetrating the Legion's armor to some degree. Unfortunately, the modifications rendered them even less maneuverable than the already ponderous conventional _Machiavellis_.

Kayto's entire main screen was dotted with explosions and flashes and alarms immediately began to shrill as the _Sunrider's_ sensors went wild with the readings of the battle. Thermal traces laced back and forth across the entire battlefield as the PACT and Alliance fleets traded thousands of missiles at each other. Hundreds of proximity and targeting contacts flagged on the tactical screen as both fleets registered the appearance of the Alliance Second Fleet and the _Sunrider_. Alliance and PACT Ryder wings gunned after one another across the battlefield, soaring and tumbling past the larger ships, plowing through the maelstrom of flak and missile fire in deadly games of chase.

Kayto winced as off to the _Sunrider's_ port side, an Alliance _Machiavelli_ fired its kilometer long spinal guns in a bright actinic flash, targeting a PACT battleship thousands of kilometers away. The PACT battleship returned fire a split second later; both massive vessels taking hits head on, reeling with the impacts. The PACT ship slowly broke apart as the _Machiavelli's_ deck guns opened fire as well, emptying their kinetic payloads into the stricken ship.

The _Machiavelli's_ victory was short lived, however, as a deadly red laser streaked across the main screen, cutting deeply into the wounded ship and slicing it apart deck by deck. The Alliance's proudest and largest battleship cleaved apart, wreathed in fire before it detonated, taking two nearby cruisers with it. The laser beam slowly faded from the main screen, but not before cutting through and vaporizing nearly a dozen other Alliance ships in its line of fire. Dozens of smaller explosions also dotted its path; Ryders that had not managed to dodge the destructive beam's path.

"Captain!" Ava's voice was strained. "The _Legion's_ fired her primary laser; she's decimating the Alliance forces!"

Kayto's fists clenched. Each minute they allowed the _Legion_ to remain in play exacted a terrible blood payment on the Alliance forces which continued to valiantly hold the line and maintain pressure on the PACT defense fleet, throwing their might forward with terrible courage.

"Ryders, you are clear for launch," barked Kayto. "Form up and stay close!"

On screen, the Sunrider's combat Ryders blasted past the ship as they dropped out of their launch tubes, racing to take escort positions and establish their flak network, their thrusters flaring brilliantly as they pushed into the night.

"Alliance Ryder wings incoming from rear carrier groups," reported Ava. "They're taking position with the Second Fleet now."

Almost a hundred Alliance Ryders deployed from the Combined Fleet's carrier groups at the relative safety of the edge of the battle streamed towards the Second Fleet, joined by what Ryders that were based from the fleet's cruisers. The dozens of Alliance Ryder wings blasted past the Second Fleet in standard wedge formations, forming a forward picket and taking support positions with the Second Fleet's forward cruisers.

Taking exception to the sudden appearance of Kayto's fleet, the PACT reserve fleet tightened formation and arrayed themselves in front of the Legion as the behemoth's lateral thrusters flared to push it onto the proper firing axis.

"The Second Fleet's assembled," announced Ava, "They're clearing a path!"

The _Machiavellis_ prepared to fire, aligning with several PACT capital ships guarding the _Legion_. Glowing brightly at their forward tips, the _Machiavellis'_ mass drivers let loose with brilliant flashes like muskets firing. White hot black ore slugs flew through space, cutting brilliant lines across the darkness before finding range on the _Legion's_ escort fleet. The PACT ships impacted by the shots immediately fractured, breaking apart as the shells tore through them from prow to stern.

"Holy Ryuvia…" muttered Kayto, watching a PACT battleship practically fold inside-out from the impact before detonating.

In retaliation, the remaining PACT ships and the _Legion_ let fly with a barrage of missiles numbering in the thousands.

The sky around Helion lit up as the Second Fleet's cruisers fired their assault guns desperately into the wall of missiles; hundreds of the Alliance's own missiles blasted loose from their silos on the cruisers in sequence to intercept, but the weight of the PACT onslaught was simply too much. Kayto winced as dozens of explosions blossomed on the front screens, the Second Fleet's forward cruiser and Ryder lines disappearing as the PACT missiles hit home, burning through armor and blasting the Second Fleet's forward position to pieces. Even in the face of the sheer slaughter, the Second Fleet's ships continued to push forward valiantly, throwing wolf-pack after wolf-pack of ships forward to reinforce the crumbling formation.

Kayto fought a wave of nausea as he watched dozens of Alliance ships sink in an eyeblink. "All ahead forward," he barked as the Alliance _Machiavellis_ began accelerating their massive hulls forward towards the slaughter at the front lines. "Keep us in formation!"

The Sunrider's engines flared blue as she drove towards the Legion and her attendant fleet. Having stomached the devastating initial losses wrought upon them by the PACT missile barrage, the Alliance lines had crashed into the PACT fleet, engaging them at knife fight range. Alliance ships skated past PACT counterparts, both blasting each other like ancient ships of the line in a deadly close quarters melee, hulls flashing as their deck guns and laser banks flensed into one another as Ryders wove desperately in between, gunning at one another. Pod after pod of missiles blasted off, filling what little space there was with even more death and destruction as the Alliance fully entangled with the PACT.

Even as they closed the gap, Kayto watched the Legion let loose with another devastating barrage of lasers, spearing an Alliance wolf pack leading the charge with devastating consequences. The Alliance ships fractured apart, hulls on fire, plunging towards the surface of the sun as they suffered catastrophic engine failures. From behind, some of the _Machiavellis_ fired again, this time targeting the _Legion_ itself, emptying their black ore tipped slugs into its heavy armor. Although the slugs were enough to tear an entire PACT battleship in half, the _Legion_ simply absorbed the projectiles, its heavy armor caving in, but halting the shots from reaching any of her vital components.

With the _Legion_ and the Alliance's newly retrofitted _Machiavellis_ , the Battle of Helion had turned into a space battle of proportions hitherto unseen; thousands of lives extinguished in mere moments as the titanic ships tore into one another's fleets. The sheer scale of the battle was incomprehensible, almost inhuman, leaving nothing behind except the numb of death and destruction.

"Captain, the Legion is dead ahead!" announced Ava.

"Uwaahhh!" Claude's voice gasped over the pilot chatter. "Look at the size of that!"

"Tsch!" Icari's voice grated harshly. "What a monstrosity..."

"Stick together everyone!" Asaga's loud voice boomed over the comms, instilling a measure of confidence and hope in the others as they stared down the largest, deadliest ship in the galaxy. "We can do this! Work together and we'll sink it like any other ship!"

"The _Legion_ is preparing to fire again!" warned Ava. "She's targeting the Alliance _Machiavellis_!"

"Get us out of its line of fire! Hard to port!" barked Kayto.

The entire ship shuddered as its lateral thrusters answered, pushing the _Sunrider_ off course as the _Legion's_ laser fire streaked past close enough to send feedback and resonance rippling through their shielding, sinking cruiser after cruiser behind the _Sunrider_ and gouging devastating wounds into one of the Second Fleet's _Machiavellis._

"New course bearing puts us on intercept with a PACT assault carrier," announced Ava, her hands working furiously over her console. "Entering weapons range in ten seconds."

"Bearing two-eight by seven-seven," ordered Kayto, laying in a course to navigation to correct for their evasive maneuver and continue their approach to the _Legion_. "Drop our nose two degrees and target the assault carrier; get me a firing solution!"

"Firing solution achieved," answered Ava moments later. "Weapons locked, missiles hot!"

"Fire Saviors; launch all Hell Dart missile pods!" barked Kayto.

The CIC rocked as the Sunrider's heaviest guns fired in rapid succession and row after row of Hell Dart missiles launched from their pods. The recoil of a full weapons launch was enough to stagger even the Sunrider's engines, making for a precipitous and noticeable drop in forward acceleration as the ship absorbed the momentum and recovered, shaking with each weapon discharge.

"Assault carrier returning fire, initiating evasive maneuvers!" announced Ava.

If the _Sunrider_ had one advantage over the larger assault carrier, it was mobility. At half the length and mass of its larger PACT counterpart with a minimized forward profile, the _Sunrider_ made for a nimble and difficult to hit foe. The assault carrier's kinetic weapons let loose in a series of bright flashes along the vessel's dorsal deck. The slugs streaked past the _Sunrider_ by mere meters, punching into the dark of space.

On screen, the PACT assault carrier's hull lit up as the _Sunrider's_ Saviors found range, tearing long rends into its lateral hull and punching through to the decks below. The _Sunrider's_ Hell Darts hit a wall of flak, detonating as the computer aimed rounds nailed one after another, preserving the wounded assault carrier's combat presence.

"Hell Darts intercepted," reported Ava grimly, "No hits. PACT assault carrier is preparing to fire again!"

Kayto gritted his teeth; at this range, the assault carrier could not possibly miss; this was going to hurt.

"Alert; proximity warning! It's the Alliance _Machiavelli_ _Fairlight_!" cried Ava

Kayto watched, eyes wide as the _Machiavelli_ speared by the _Legion's_ lasers raced between the _Sunrider_ and the PACT assault carrier, engines heaving dangerously as she pushed her reactor past meltdown limits. The vessel was leaking atmosphere and sported gut-wrenching rends in her hull, some still on fire; evidence of the _Legion's_ fearsome anti-ship weaponry. As the _Fairlight_ raced closer, Kayto could see that her deck guns had been slagged and her missile silos were open and empty, having been exhausted at the outset of the battle. Defiant to the last, the _Fairlight_ plowed forward, assault guns blazing away as her lateral laser banks fired into the PACT assault carrier's shields, refusing to give in.

"Captain…" Ava's voice was hushed. "They're taking the hit for us… Incoming transmission, text only: _Sunrider_ , give them hell. _Fairlight_."

Kayto gritted his teeth and his eyes blurred as he watched the _Fairlight_ shudder, absorbing a full salvo from the PACT assault carrier at virtually point blank ship-to-ship range, cleaving apart and detonating; not a single escape pod having launched.

Balling a fist, Kayto felt the weight of the _Fairlight's_ crew's sacrifice upon his shoulders; more than five hundred men and women had died; choosing to go down with their ship to buy the _Sunrider_ a chance to take a shot at the _Legion_ rather than withdrawing for safe harbor; a microcosm of the greater sacrifice being borne by the entire Combined Fleet that same moment.

Swallowing hard, Kayto barked his orders as the fragmented hull of the _Fairlight_ smashed into the PACT assault carrier, sending explosions rippling across her hull, tearing into her lower decks in a final act of defiance, "Fire Saviors and Trinities! Target that assault carrier's hull breaches!"

The _Sunrider's_ weapons let loose again, smashing into the wounded PACT ship and avenging the _Fairlight_ as the crimson vessel shuddered with each impact, explosions dotting its lateral hull as the _Sunrider_ advanced. One of the Savior slugs flew straight and true, soaring into a gaping breach and touching the heart of the PACT assault carrier and shattering the reactor containment, allowing hellfire to engulf the entire vessel in a flash.

"Captain, the path to the _Legion_ is open!" said Ava grimly, plotting their path to the PACT flagship as the PACT assault carrier and the _Fairlight_ burned on a funeral pyre in embrace, sinking slowly towards Helion's gravitational pull. "The Alliance has managed to weaken its systems, but they're taking heavy losses; they can't keep this up for much longer!"

"Engines at flank speed, maintain intercept course" ordered Kayto with steel in his voice. "This ends now."

"Aye Captain!" Ava answered. "Locking in our approach vector! The Second Fleet's rallying around us! Distance, 10,000 kilometers!"

Leaving the death and destruction behind them, the _Sunrider_ flew straight towards the _Legion's_ open maw, surrounded by the core of the Second Fleet and what ships had pulled past the slaughter of the entangled Alliance and PACT lines. Even as the _Sunrider_ flew at her, the _Legion_ absorbed another salvo of shots from the Alliance _Machiavellis_ as they fired from behind. The devastating rounds dug into the titanic vessel's hull, punching their way through her surface systems and further disabling a number of the missile pods and laser banks that studded the behemoth's outer hull.

Even so, dozens of active laser banks flickered to life along the length of the _Legion_ , tracking the incoming ships of the Second Fleet and letting loose with a flurry of devastating crimson lances.

The _Sunrider's_ CIC exploded with shrill alarms as the _Legion's_ fire punched through their shielding as though it were not even there, burning into their hull to the decks below. On the main screen, Kayto dimly registered several cruisers and _Machiavellis_ beside the _Sunrider_ also take hits, the smaller ships detonating or sinking almost immediately from the brutality of the attack.

"Multiple impacts!" screamed Ava as the entire ship shook. Her eyes were wide with shock as their ship struggled to hold itself together around them. Sparks flew from overhead as circuits across the ship exploded, straining to divert the immense currents from their overloaded shields. "Hull breaches across C-deck, all sections compromised!"

"Steady as she goes!" grunted Kayto, straining to keep up with the damage reports streaming in from every section of the ship. Miraculously, the _Sunrider's_ engines and core systems were still reading in the green. "Hold course and charge the Vanguard Cannon!"

Additional laser impacts slammed into the _Sunrider's_ hull, slicing deeply into her inner decks.

"Massive damage reported," cried Ava as the CIC drowned in screaming alarms and flashing red warnings. "Distance: 6000!"

The ship shuddered again; a steel beam came crashing down from the other side of the CIC, smashing into the CIC's beleaguered damage control console and blasting the crewmen working it aside in a shower of sparks and flying glass.

"Distance: 3000!" gasped Ava.

"Prepare to fire!" shouted Kayto.

Smoke and fires filled the CIC, another console exploded, sending a crewman flying across the room, but Kayto's eyes were fixed on the main screen and the _Legion's_ terrifyingly huge maw as it grew, seeming to swallow everything in front of it into utter darkness. The pandemonium of the CIC as the _Sunrider's_ marines burst in, dragging the wounded bridge crew to safety and spraying retardant foam at the fires, the wailing alarms overhead, and the shaking death throes of his command; everything seemed to fade from awareness as Kayto stared down the Beast with hate in his eyes.

"1000!" Ava counted down the _Sunrider's_ distance through gritted teeth. "800!"

The entire CIC groaned with the sound of the _Sunrider's_ hull giving way as though the entire ship were dying in agony around them.

"400!"

"FIRE!"

Kayto's heart pounded in his throat as the entire universe dropped into slow motion, each beat a painful, torturous throb as he waited for the _Sunrider's_ cleansing light to lance forward from his ship and burn away the loss he'd suffered the day the _Legion_ arrived at Cera.

Nothing happened.

Kayto fought a rising sense of unreality. "FIRE!"

"The Vanguard… it's not responding Captain!" Ava's voice was stunned with disbelief.

"Goddammit!" Kayto slammed a fist down on his armrest, crashing back to reality and the devastation around him.

"Bridge controls to Vanguard firing controls severed!" Ava shouted, consulting her screens. "Remote fire offline!"

"Break off the attack!" Kayto fought the rising nausea. All the bloodshed, all the death… for this? "Relay a message to the _Maiden's Grace_! We need the _Machiavellis_ to take the shot!"

"Negative Captain!" cried Ava. "The _Machiavellis_ don't stand a chance at making the approach; only the _Sunrider_ can make the shot!" Another shrill alarm rang out on both their consoles. "Energy spike! The _Legion_ is preparing to fire her main cannon!"

The _Legion's_ gaping maw began to glow with the same hellish red Kayto had seen engulf Cera City what felt like a lifetime ago; a color he would never, could never scrub from his eyes. His breath caught as his chest heaved, knowing that the light spilling from the _Legion's_ maw would yet again visit death upon him. Building up, the _Legion's_ primary laser lit up its innards with deadly energy, lancing out unstoppably at the Second Fleet. Slicing past the _Sunrider_ , the laser flickered over the hulls of the Second Fleet's _Machiavellis_ , cleaving cleaning through two of them, including the fleet's flagship, the _Maiden's Grace_.

"The Alliance lines are falling apart! At this rate-" Ava's voice broke as the hard crimson light faded from the main screen, replaced by explosions and flying shrapnel as the massive ships broke apart and detonated, sunk with all hands aboard.

"It's a bloody massacre…" whispered Kayto as he watched dozens of Alliance cruisers run through with lasers sinking as the PACT fleet closed in for the kill. "Get me the Vanguards," he said, his voice turning cold. "Now."

"The manual override at auxiliary control station C still appears to be functional!" answered Ava a heartbeat later as she stabbed at her screens.

"C?" Kayto's felt the universe slow. "Didn't you say all C-sections were damaged?"

"Aye Captain!"

"Get a repair crew down there immediately!" ordered Kayto.

"Impossible; deck access cut off by the damage, the crews will never make it in time. The only way down there is the CIC service corridor." Ava's voice was soft in the wailing din of the CIC, but Kayto caught each and every word with mounting fear in his breast, instinctively knowing what she was about to say before the words even let slip past her lips. "This is our only chance to destroy the _Legion_ ; I'm going down there my-"

"NO!"

Kayto slapped the quick release on his crash harness, surging up and staggering to his feet, unbalanced by the shaking of the _Sunrider_ around him, as Ava did the same.

"It's too dangerous; you can't go down there!" Kayto shouted as he grabbed onto the sleeve of Ava's uniform.

"You said it yourself!" Ava wrenched her arm free of him, her cerise eyes glaring at him, burning with duty and conviction. "We have to sink the _Legion_ or it'll be a massacre!"

"And I'm saying it now," Kayto staggered over to his first officer properly, grabbing her by her elbows, consequences be damned. "It's. Not. Worth. It."

Ava struggled against his grip, looking up at him furiously. "What's the matter!? We've come too far to back out now! It killed Maray, didn't it!?"

Kayto stared deeply into her eyes, wordless for a moment. The moment, but a split second as the battle for Helion raged around them, dragged on for what seemed like an hour as she glared into his gaze, explosions and death reflected in her cherry irises.

Trembling, Kayto felt a rising emotion well up deep from within, something he'd not felt since the two of them lay entwined, bound by the promise he made years ago. At that moment, he knew; she could hate him for it, she could abandon him forever for this one act, but no matter what she did, no matter what pain he would later bear, he would not lose her like this.

"You're still the only person left, Ava. The only person I have left."

"NO!" Ava's eyes widened and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. One of her arms broke free and delivered one stinging slap after another to his face as she screamed at him. "NO! We can't wait any longer! We have to destroy the _Legion_ before we lose the entire fleet! One life! One life for-"

"ENOUGH!" Kayto roared.

The ship rocked again as the _Legion_ and the PACT struck down ship after ship, turning the Alliance lines into an utter bloodbath, but Kayto was past caring as he caught Ava's hand at the wrist, pulling her in towards him and refusing to let go as the two stared into one another's eyes, the battle and his dying ship forgotten.

"The whole of the Alliance can burn! The galaxy can fall to its doom! The end of humanity can come! But I will NOT throw you away to die!"

A single tear tracked its way down Ava's face. "Y-you're… emotionally compromised…" she whispered.

"I know."

Kayto held her for a moment longer as her body went limp, their two hearts pounding against one another as they had in another life. "I know." Letting her slip from his grasp slowly, Kayto watched as Ava took half a step back, conflict swirling behind her beautiful eyes. "Sit down, Ava."

Ava's face fell as more tears rolled down from her eyes. Bowing her head, she let her hair shield her face, burning red, from his gaze. "…Idiot…" she whispered tremulously. Fiercely, she wiped a sleeve across her face and straightened, saluting with wet eyes and a pink flush across her cheeks. "Sir!" The barest shadow of a sad, sorrowful smile flitted across her features as she met Kayto's eyes once more.

Kayto nodded, breathing hard as the two of them once again took seats at their command stations. Even with the ship falling apart around them, the CIC crew seemed to have frozen, staring at their two commanding officers.

"Hit our engines! Bypass the _Legion_!" barked Kayto, shattering the moment, the crew snapping back to their stations and struggling to bring the damaged _Sunrider_ away from the _Legion's_ forward firing fields. "The mission critical objective is the Paradox Core! Send a message over FleetComm to all able Alliance ships to converge and concentrate fire on the Core!"

* * *

Fontana swept into the Paradox Core's control chamber, his greatcoat billowing in his wake. The control chamber was almost monstrously large with a vaulted ceiling so high it disappeared into inky darkness above. The massive holo screens adorning the far walls showed a panoramic view of the space surrounding the Core and the battle beyond. Brilliant flashes dotted the sky as hundreds of ships clashed, periodically punctuated by the red lances emanating from the _Legion_ as she devastated the Alliance fleets.

As he strode closer to the holos, a large throne-like chair turned from the screens to face him. Arcadius sat upon the imposing seat, his small frame utterly dwarfed by the enormity of everything in the room. Falling to one knee, Fontana struggled to stifle the rising revulsion he felt. The throne, the room itself… the grandeur and utter decadence of such a space were things befitting the imperialists they'd fought tooth and nail against, not the PACT.

"My Veniczar," Fontana kept his voice even. "As you can see, the battle goes well. The enemy is being slaughtered at the gates. However, the _Sunrider_ and a small force of Alliance ships has bypassed our fleet's defenses and are en route to the Paradox Core as we speak. As a precaution, we should evacuate you further behind our lines."

"Coward." Arcadius's high voice dripped with fury and condescension. "We have no further need for your fleet's interference or incompetence. We shall deal with the _Sunrider_. Personally."

"My Veniczar-?" Fontana's voice was uncertain.

Arcadius's fingers danced over the control pad on the throne's arm rest. "Prepare our Ryders," he commanded to someone unseen, ignoring Fontana. "Soon, our plan will come to fruition! HAHAHA!"

* * *

"All Ryders, form up!" Asaga's voice boomed out over the Ryder chatter channel. "C'mon! This is our chance to get the Paradox Core!"

Of the hundreds of ships in the Alliance Combined Fleet, only the _Sunrider_ , two remaining _Machiavellis_ from the Second fleet, and a handful of cruisers and Ryders had made it past the gauntlet of PACT forces to advance on the Paradox Core. Fortunately, it seemed the Core itself had no armaments or defenses. For the moment, Kayto dared to believe the damaged _Sunrider_ and its rag-tag fleet could finish the mission and force the PACT into retreat before the entire Combined Fleet was sunk behind them.

The _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing, having avoided the worst of the combat to escort the _Sunrider_ , was miraculously intact, managing to steer clear of the death raining down upon them from the _Legion_ to join their mother ship in the final push for the Paradox Core.

"A-ah!" Chigara's voice broke out over the comms, cracking with concern. "Liberty's detecting multiple contacts launching from the Paradox Core! I-it's…"

Kayto looked at the main screen as it acquired visual of the incoming targets with shock. A Ryder, unerringly familiar to the Ancient Ryuvian Ryders they'd faced on the far side of Far Port's moon, burned towards the _Sunrider_ and her fleet with the speed to match. As its bright blue engines flared, Kayto saw the new PACT Ryder had been painted crimson and black, but still bore the unmistakable silhouette of the Ryuvian Ryder, copying its oversized shoulder missile pod, wide bore laser rifle, multiple shoulder-mounted pulse lasers, and anti-Ryder blade in eerie replica of the ancient technology.

"AHAHAHA!" A high, cold laughter filled the CIC as an open broadcast came in from the Ryder.

"Arcadius!" Kayto's hands clenched over his armrests.

"Welcome, Captain," Arcadius's voice dripped with insane mirth. "Welcome to our Festival! I trust you enjoyed my initial hospitality."

"All Ryders, take out Arcadius now!" Kayto's hands shook slightly. "We can end this war, here and now!"

"End this war?" Arcadius chuckled darkly with rising amusement. "Oh no, Captain. Our body is immortal! If one falls, another simply picks up the mask and carries on!"

Arcadius's Ryder suddenly reeled as a brilliant flash slammed into it, leaving a crater clean through the machine before it detonated in a brilliant fusion explosion.

"Target Neutralized." Sola's voice was hard and brittle as she spat in fury. "Even in this era, mad men drone while men and women die."

"Confirm hit," demanded Kayto. "Did we get him?"

"We…" Asaga's voice sounded almost disbelieving. "WE GOT HIM! Arcadius is no more!" she whooped.

"AHAHAHA!"

"W-what?!" Kayto reeled as Arcadius's voice continued to speak over the broadcast.

"Fools." Arcadius gloated. "You cannot defeat us all." A dozen of Arcadius's Ryders launched simultaneously from the Paradox Core, each identical to the ones flying by its side. "We are… LEGION! WE ARE ARCADIUS! Now, do you see, Captain? How can you defeat an enemy whose numbers are infinite? For each you destroy, two will replace it! Our mind is one, but our bodies are many!" Even more of the Ryders streamed from the Core, seemingly endlessly. "This is the end for you, Captain…"

"Not… yet!"

The Black Jack shot forward, breaking formation with the rest of the _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing.

"I…" Asaga's voice started uncertainly, but built with power and conviction. "I know I'm not as reliable as the Commander. And I'm not as smart as Chigara. But… I'm the one who'll defeat you! You're a monster of evil!"

"Oh?" Arcadius asked toyingly.

Asaga's face contorted with fury as a brilliant blue light flared behind her right eye. "Fall back," she growled in a deep, menacing voice most unlike her usual carefree personality. "To the vile pit you came from! For this is where the line will be drawn."

"You are but a pathetic girl playing hero," Arcadius's voice was deadly.

"No, I'm more than a girl," Asaga's left eye flared with a tiny mote of light.

"I'm more than a hero." The light grew in intensity.

"I'm…" Asaga's left eye burst forward with light, both iris's glowing with a supernatural blue. "THE SHARR OF RYUVIA!"

"W-what!?" Arcadius's confidence cracked slightly as the Black Jack's engines flared brilliantly, burning with the impossible fury and intensity of a supernova confined.

"ARCADIUS!" Asaga's voice was deep, resonating with a strength and burning anger that Kayto had never even suspected in her as her face twisted into a harsh grimace. "You will pay for what you did to my father and my people! There is no action in this universe without cost. On this day, you reap the just rewards of the blood you have spilled and the suffering you have unleashed. On this day, I, Asaga di Ryuvia, condemn you to your fate."

"Impossible!" Arcadius hissed, his Ryders dispersing and flying to meet the Black Jack as it rocketed towards his dozens of copies unstoppably.

The Black Jack's engines flared as Asaga dodged all the incoming fire from Arcadius with impossible speed. The Black Jack's specs should have been physically incapable of such speeds and rapid maneuvers, never mind Asaga's fragile human body, and yet, the Black Jack continued to move so fast that it was barely a visible blur of flaring blue light on the _Sunrider's_ forward screens. Explosions dotted the sky wherever the Black Jack's shadow passed. Pulse lasers strobed wildly from the Black Jack as it rocketed past Arcadius after Arcadius, cleaving some apart with the Black Jack's anti-Ryder blades while flensing others open as its shoulder mounted lasers discharged with an intensity that made Kayto wince from hundreds of kilometers away.

"Tsch…" Icari stared at the carnage Asaga's Black Jack was wreaking with wide, disbelieving eyes. "How…?"

"This power… the true power of the Sharr…" Sola's voice bordered on reverence. "I was merely a shadow this entire time…"

"Incoming contacts," announced Ava. "The Arcadius clones are going to try to sink the rest of us to isolate Asaga!"

As he eyed the tactical screen, Kayto saw that Ava was right. A dozen Arcadius Ryders were peeling out of formation, vectoring straight for the crippled _Sunrider_ and her fleet while the rest stayed behind to hold Asaga back from rendering assistance.

"Hold the line," barked Kayto. "We need the _Machiavellis_ and the _Sunrider_ if we're going to take out the Paradox Core."

"Roger that, Captain," answered Icari tightly, taking command of the Ryder wing. "All Ryders, defensive positions, protect the _Sunrider_!"

"What about Asaga?" called out Kryska. "We can't leave her out there alone!"

"She's got things covered I think!" shouted back Icari as more explosions dotted the sky as Black Jack continued cutting through Arcadius's Ryders.

Kryska made an unhappy sound in her throat but brought the Paladin in line all the same.

"Incoming missile fire!" called out Ava as the Arcadius Ryders let fly with dozens of high velocity explosives towards the _Sunrider_. "All flak, weapons free!"

 _Sunrider_ and the two remaining Alliance _Machiavellis_ fired into the incoming missiles, freeing the remaining cruisers to form a perimeter and handle any stragglers that found their way through the flak fields.

"Target Arcadius with our pulse lasers," ordered Kayto as several of the Ryders charged through the flak network, nimbly dodging through openings created by the missile salvo. The new PACT Ryders were simply too fast and maneuverable to hit with anything else.

Laser fire strobed from the _Sunrider's_ Trinity banks as the guns craned to stay on target as the Arcadius Ryders streaked over the _Sunrider's_ hull, scoring hits with their laser cannons as they flew overhead.

Tearing after them, the Phoenix showered one Arcadius with autocannon fire, the two of them dancing with and firing at one another at close range. A brilliant crack of light speared another Arcadius as the Seraphim took a shot of opportunity, downing the Ryder craft with a single, clean hit while Paladin blazed away with its autocannons at any passing Arcadius. Liberty and Bianca were tasked at their utmost providing support, layering what shields they could over the most vulnerable sections of the _Sunrider,_ Liberty's repair drones desperately attempting to re-route shielding power for the ship while Bianca dragged one of the Arcadius Ryders into a stream of pulse laser fire with a well-placed gravity eddy. Yet, for each one the _Sunrider_ and its allies seemed to down, more Ryders appeared, threatening to overwhelm them.

"AAARRRGHH!" Icari screamed as the Phoenix locked blades with an Arcadius Ryder, the two of them tumbling as their retrothrusters fired wildly. Multiple pulse lasers tore through the Phoenix's thin hull as her anti-Ryder blades swung furiously cutting and stabbing deeply into Arcadius's Ryder, blasting into its armor point blank with autocannon fire. Turning end over end, the two Ryders plummeted towards the _Sunrider's_ hull.

Alarms screamed in the Phoenix's cockpit as Icari's hands clenched over her control sticks, dozens of red warning flashing up as the Phoenix reported multiple systems failures and proximity warnings. "D-DAMN IT!" Wrenching the control sticks so hard she feared they would snap, Icari threw the Phoenix into a vicious roll, black lapping at the edge of her vision as she threatened to black out.

"ICARI!" Kryska shouted as Paladin ducked behind its shield, smashing head-on into another Arcadius Ryder as it flew straight at her, its deadly laser rifle heating the shield to a white hot glow. Rolling with the weight of impact, the Paladin "threw" the Arcadius Ryder overhead and off axis. Four brilliant flashes erupted from its shoulder cannons as Kryska blasted the Ryder into pieces.

"Not so fast!" Claude's voice was strained as Bianca's gravity gun spun up. Space seemed to distort right above the _Sunrider_ as Phoenix and its combatant plunged towards the hull spinning wildly. The Phoenix caught on the edge of the eddy, slowing and sticking unnaturally to the fabric of space like an insect caught by a spider's web. Arcadius's Ryder, however, spun over the edge, slipping off the Phoenix's blade and plummeting towards the ship's hull, shattering like china as it impacted still spinning.

"Ugh!" Kayto grunted as his ship rocked with the impact. "Status!"

"The fleet's getting torn to shreds by Arcadius!" answered Ava, eyes darting wildly between reports and read outs from the ship. "We've still got seven active Arcadius Ryders!"

Explosions blossomed on the screen as four of Kayto's remaining cruisers sank, unable to withstand the assault from Arcadius's Ryders as they fired their powerful lasers into the cruisers' sides, burning through armor and finding their way to the critical systems beneath. Even the Alliance _Machiavellis_ were barely able to keep the Ryders at bay, their flak cannons firing desperately as the Ryders scored hit after hit on their damaged hull, igniting atmosphere and fuel lines underneath.

"Captain," Ava's face was pale as the CIC shook with yet another impact. She swiveled a screen to show him the extent of the damage; virtually every section of the _Sunrider_ was pulsing a bloody red as the ship neared the point of non-functionality. "We're breaking apart; we can't take any more of this!"

"Tsch!" Kayto ground his teeth. They were so close to entering weapons range with the Paradox Core. If they fled now, the Alliance's entire sacrifice would have been in vain. "Redline our reactors! Get us in range of the Paradox Core, now!"

"AHAHAHA!" Arcadius's voice echoed with collective laughter as his Ryders converged on the _Sunrider_ determined to strike the finishing blow as Kayto's war-torn fleet limped towards the Paradox Core.

Kayto felt his heart pounding sickeningly in his throat as he watched Arcadius's Ryders fly between the _Sunrider's_ final line of flak and pulse laser cover, weapons charging as they prepared to fire on his crippled ship.

"Warning, energy spike from behind!" cried out Ava.

"The _Legion_?!" demanded Kayto, his blood running cold.

"Negative! It's… the Black Jack!"

Brilliant lances of blue light shot across the _Sunrider_ as the Black Jack burned towards them, impossibly fast, its engines a blue nova ringing the Ryder's silhouette. Four pinpoints of light formed over the Black Jack's shoulders, hard and gemlike in brightness as Asaga let loose with the Black Jack's shoulder lasers. The laser light slashed painfully across the main screen, spearing Ryder after Ryder with unerring accuracy and cutting Arcadius's Ryders down one after another.

"How-?" whispered Ava, still unable to believe her own eyes as the Black Jack blasted past the _Sunrider's_ hull and sliced across an Arcadius Ryder before rocketing off at an oblique angle to flense open another with its pulse lasers, firing at point blank into the Ryder's chest, melting it like a wax candle down its front.

"AARRRGGHH!" Arcadius's voice screamed out in fury and frustration as his clones and Ryders were destroyed one after another, Asaga's newly awakened powers too much to bear. The seemingly endless waves had finally staunched, dozens having been destroyed in the wake of Black Jack's retribution, leaving but one Ryder remaining on the field.

"Stay."

Asaga and the Black Jack slammed into the final Arcadius.

"Away."

The Black Jack's laser blade cleaved clean through Arcadius's Ryder's right armature.

"From."

Pulse lasers strobed into the Ryder's midsection, burning through to the other side and cutting the Ryder's lower section and legs free from the torso.

"MY FRIENDS!"

Asaga's eyes flared cyan before fading back to her normal emerald eye color. Throwing the remnants of Arcadius's final, crippled Ryder forward, the intense energy around the Black Jack seemed to fade as Asaga's awakening tapered off.

"You're still naïve!" Arcadius's hiss was now less one of fury than of vindication and cold triumph. "This was but a show; prepare for the true reason you were called before us! Detonate the Paradox Core!"

"What!?" Kayto felt the _Sunrider_ shake for the umpteenth time as something slammed into its critically damaged hull. Fear pounded through his veins as Arcadius continued.

"In one moment, four Alliance fleets shall disappear into the great void, along with the great _Sunrider_ and the last vestiges of Diode's legacy!" Arcadius's voice took on a new edge of madness. "But we shall wake up in new bodies, ready to conquer the galaxy once more! And this time, nothing shall stand in our way!"

"Arcadius…" Kayto ground his teeth. "Your own fleet… You're… inhuman…"

"Precisely." Arcadius began to laugh, insane peels of ringing laughter. "AHAHAHA!"

"No."

A quiet, clipped voice cut across the transmission.

"W-what!?" Arcadius's voice sounded stunned.

"Captain!" Ava sounded equally shocked. "The broadcast from the Paradox Core! It's being transmitted to every ship in the system."

Fontana's avatar rose on the transmission from behind Arcadius, twisting the PACT leader's arm behind him and holding him by the neck with his other hand. "The creature you see before you," he said, seemingly addressing Kayto, his cyan eyes radiating a cold fury, "Is not the Great Arcadius." Turning to look down at Arcadius, Fontana seemed to loom over him as Arcadius turned his head to stare at him from the corner of one of his mask's blank eyes. "It's over Prototype. My forces have already disarmed the Paradox Core."

"WHAT?! FONTANA!?" The Prototype sounded livid. "YOU TRAITOR!"

"A traitor? I?" Fontana snorted softly, blowing a lock of violet hair out of his eyes. "Would the true Arcadius have used the Compact to spread blood and war across the galaxy? Would Arcadius have ordered the _Legion_ to fire upon her own ships to sink his enemies? Would Arcadius have ever considered those who lived, fought, and died for him mere pawns to sacrifice for empty victory? Would Arcadius have ever sought a weapon designed to wipe out entire star systems and their inhabitants?" Fontana's face hardened with every sentence. "Not the Arcadius I knew."

"It is now I who must hold the crimson banner of the Revolution, for you have spat against all that it once stood for! If I am a traitor to our cause, it was only because I fell prey to the same mistake the Great Arcadius did: to allow a monstrosity such as you within our ranks!" Fontana's eyes flashed with conviction. "From this moment forward, it will be I, Vennasar Fontana, who will carry forth the ideals and Revolution of the Great Arcadius. Hear this, you twisted monster of science; you are no longer fit to bear that name!"

Fontana looked up at the camera, meeting Kayto's eyes. "Behold, the truth behind the Mask of Arcadius!"

With a single deft movement, Fontana tore the blank, silver mask from the Prototype's face.

Kayto gaped as he stared into the face of a woman… with mauve hair and blue eyes. For a moment he wondered if he'd gone mad, if the insanity of the battle that raged around him had finally smashed his traumatized psyche to pieces, but the utter looks of shock on every other face in the CIC argued otherwise. Wordlessly, Kayto stared into a face he'd seen almost every day, one in which every ounce of kindness and warmth that ordinarily graced it had been replaced with twisted fury, arrogance, and madness. Chigara's face.

"EEEAAAAHHHH!" Chigara's scream of horror filled the Ryder communications channel, giving voice to the feeling clawing its way out of Kayto's chest.

"You fool…" the Prototype's voice was filled with barely contained rage tempered by a paradoxical smugness. "You will pay for this…"

"This is the secret of Diode," said Fontana, disgust etched on every handsome feature of his face. Shoving the Prototype forward and away from him, Fontana continued. "A race of super humans, manufactured to surpass us in every way. Until that creation surpassed its creators… the day of the Diode Catastrophe. Since then, they've walked among us, unseen and pretending to be human. But their goal is clear: the enslavement of the human race."

"Hahahaha…" The Prototype's laughter was quiet, grim. "It's too late Fontana," it said with cold triumph, turning to look at him. "We already number in the hundreds, embedding ourselves throughout the galaxy. We manipulate ideologies, entire planets, leaders... We already own Everything."

"No."

Fontana's arm snapped up in a blur of motion. Rather than a pocket watch, however, a matte black compact pistol rose upwards to the level of the Prototype's forehead.

A single shot rang out, clean and ringing in the utter silence that had fallen over the onlookers.

The Prototype's head flew rocked backwards as a dark hole blossomed dead center in its forehead, a dark trickle running down from its rim. With a final look of shock, the Prototype crumpled lifelessly to the ground as the video transmission from the Paradox Core cut out.

"You do not own PACT."


	28. Awakening

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

"You do not own PACT."

Fontana's words echoed as the sound of his pistol's discharge rang in Kayto's ears, an unreal sense of numbness rippling through him as he stared at the Paradox Core's final, static-filled transmission, eyes unfocused. Unbidden, the Prototype's face swam up in his mind's eye, the final look of shock and pain as life slipped from its open eyes, haughty smugness and arrogance replaced with something softer in its final moment.

Outside the _Sunrider_ , what remained of Kayto's shattered fleet hung uncertainly before the Paradox Core, an uneasy respite in the heat of battle as both the Alliance and PACT struggled to make sense of the Paradox Core's last transmission. Although explosions continued to dot the sky as missiles flew past one another and lasers knifed out between the enmeshed Alliance and PACT fleets, the fever pitch of the battle seemed to diminish as the Alliance's reserve fleets slowed their advance towards the devastation of the front line. For their part, the PACT ships seemed hesitant to press the advantage, staunchly holding in their defensive positions in sullen radio silence, undoubtedly masking the tremendous confusion and doubt rippling through the fleet's chain of command.

" _Sunrider!_ " Asaga's voice cut through the stunned silence of the CIC, no effort made to conceal her surprise. "This is Black Jack, did you just hear that? That red bastard just turned on Arcadius! The PACT's starting to turn tail!"

"PACT Ryders are regrouping into a defensive cordon, Captain," confirmed Ava, her voice laced with caution, as though scarcely willing to believe the bloodbath might be over. "Picking up a spike in encrypted PACT comm traffic; their High Command is probably in complete disarray. Incoming orders from Alliance Command; the Combined Fleet is to stand down from the advance and make preparations for emergency search and rescue!"

"No more PACT units in our AO, Capt'n... the only active signature is..."

On screen, the Black Jack's engines pulsed, kicking it closer to the last Arcadius Ryder Asaga had engaged. The Ryder's armor bore deep gouge marks where Black Jack's pulse lasers had melted through, revealing slagged components and burned circuitry; it's armatures had been cleaved clean off and its engines were scored deeply from Black Jack's anti-Ryder blades, as cold and lifeless as the space around them.

"Still reading one life sign from this Arcadius unit," Asaga's voice sounded surprised; given the extent of the damage to the Ryder and the half a dozen hull breaches it was slowly venting atmosphere from, her assessment was a temporary one at best. "It's thready... but the pilot's definitely alive. What should we do with Capt'n?"

"Captain," Ava turned to Kayto, swallowing her confusion and almost succeeding imposing some order on the uncertainty of the situation. "The Prototypes. Arcadius. This changes everything we've understood about the PACT and the entire war itself. We need to take that Prototype alive. The intelligence we extract from it could-"

"It... looked like her," Kayto muttered through clenched teeth, wide eyes riveted on the devastated Ryder drifting dead in space. "Take it-" Kayto swallowed against the painful dryness of his throat. "I want her taken alive."

"Sir." Ava's tone suggested she had more to say, but she merely gave him one more glance before turning to her command console, tapping in orders as she opened a channel to the _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing. "Liberty, stabilize that wreck with your drones and prepare to tow the disabled Arcadius unit back to our hangar; the rest of you-"

"T-that's... impossible...!"

Chigara's quiet voice teetered on the edge of hysteria, quivering slightly as she grasped at the torn fabric of her reality, sounding as though she were half asleep, trying desperately to rouse herself from the nightmare. Despite the wailing of alarms and the roar of voices as the bridge crew worked feverishly to stay in control of the _Sunrider's_ failing systems and struggling damage control, the confusion, pain, and suffering in her voice reached across the divide and pulled Kayto from his shocked stupor, anchoring him to his command and delivering a stinging blow to bring him back to his senses. Whatever else was happening, whatever their universe was twisting apart to reveal, his crew needed him. She needed him.

Springing into action, Kayto keyed the Liberty's private comm channel, cutting Chigara's transmission off from the rest of the Ryder wing and crew. A small window opened on his command console, revealing Chigara's face, devoid of color and staring with a haunted expression at Liberty's forward screens as she clutched her head, her eyes darting wildly, begging for some thread of reality to cling to.

"Something like that...! I'm the only one who survived! Everyone else...!" Chigara's whisper edged close to the brink of total breakdown.

Opening and closing his mouth, Kayto groped for the words that would reach back across the distance, that would shield her from the universe and remind her that she was not alone. Mentally kicking himself, Kayto dug desperately for the confidence and comfort which had always come so easily to come forward now and give Chigara the words she needed to hear.

"Haah... haaah..." another voice cut in on Liberty's private channel, pent up fury and pain straining it to the point of breathlessness. "We are all the children of Diode."

With almost deliberate slowness, a static filled image resolved on Kayto's command screen beside Chigara's video, revealing one of the Prototypes, a hand clutching the gap between the charcoal and red plates of her Ryder armor as a dark stain seeped across the fabric beneath the plates and between her fingers. Looking up, she glared at the camera and gritted her teeth against the pain, blood weeping from one temple and matting her light, mauve hair as it dripped down her chin. All around her, holographic readouts pulsed a deadly shade of crimson, warning of catastrophic damage to every sub-system in her Ryder and the rapidly dwindling life support the remnants of her Ryder were capable of.

"We're one and the same, you and I," the Prototype continued, taunting even as she struggled for breath as her injuries took their toll and the atmosphere left in her Ryder began to thin. "Sisters."

"NO!" Chigara screamed as dark, mirthless laughter filled the channel, anguish mirrored on both sides of the conversation. "EEAAAHHH!"

"Captain." Ava's voice snapped from his left. "Liberty's not responding to my commands-," her eyes narrowed suspiciously as her glare settled on his communications suite. "Captain, what's-?"

"Belay that previous order," Kayto cut Chigara's channel before Ava could switch into it. "Bianca, tow that Arcadius unit back to the _Sunrider_ , I want that thing in our hangar five minutes ago."

"C-copy!" Claude confirmed, sounding off-footed and surprised. Nevertheless, Bianca's engines fired, bringing the pink Ryder into a tight arc as it launched tethers to the disabled Arcadius Ryder and began dragging the wreck towards the _Sunrider's_ stern hangar doors.

"Captain!" Ava's furious glare pinned Kayto, unaccustomed to being left out of the loop and all the more suspicious for it. "What in the name of-" A proximity klaxon shrilled out, cutting Ava off yet again. "Alert!" Ava's focus shifted instantly, her training kicking in and shelving her complaints as she consulted her tactical feed grimly. "New hostiles inbound on our AO. Pirate forces on high burn direct intercept!"

"Aren't you forgetting about someone!?"

On the main screen, a dozen new signatures resolved, seeming to pour out of the distant fog at the edge of sensor contact, the recognizable silhouette of the Havok surrounded by a brace of pirate Ryders and a small escort of converted civilian and black market ships, the final remnants of the pirate fleet amassed at Ongess, probably crewed by their most fanatic zealots.

"Cosette!" Kayto felt his heart race again and sweat break out over his body, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him as Cosette's tiny fleet moved to intercept the _Sunrider_ and Alliance vessels beside them. Stiffening, he pushed aside all other thoughts and forced himself to focus on keeping his people alive in the face of the latest complication. While his fleet was desperately low on munitions and barely had enough hull integrity to stay afloat, Cosette's ships and Ryders had apparently ducked out of the thick of battle, lurking until their moment of opportunity. As much as he was loath to admit it, the pirate ships had a very real chance of finishing the job the PACT had started and sinking what was left of his fleet and the _Sunrider_. "All available units; regroup and prepare for defensive action! The fleet's counting on you!"

"Roger that!" Asaga shouted, Black Jack bursting across the _Sunrider's_ main screen in a flash of blue light. "Ryders, form up on my six!"

"You again!" Cosette's voice was a hiss of furious delight as she spied Black Jack, her Ryder pulling to the head of her own formation as it charged towards Black Jack and the _Sunrider's_ Ryder wing. "HAHAHA! This is where it all ends! Your fleet and your Captain are going to pay for what they did on Ongess!"

"You're too late!" Asaga shot back. "The PACT's pulling out, we've captured or killed every Arcadius left. There's nothing you can do anymore!"

"I can still take you out! EAAAHHH!" Cosette shrieked, eyes wild and hair in her face as she pounded commands into her Ryder. "No retreat! Men, hold your ground! If Fontana doesn't have the gall to stand here, then we'll just kill them all ourselves!"

Kayto cut in on the transmission, weariness and pity coloring his voice as he tried to make one last appeal. "Cosette, listen-"

"WE'LL NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU! You'll just have to kill every last one of us-"

"But your deaths would be meaningless!" Kayto protested, his fist curling over his arm rest. "Haven't enough men and women died today!?"

"Better to die in a blaze than alone in a ditch somewhere… hungry… sick… used…" Cosette's face twisted into the tortured grimace of an animal in pain as she sneered at Kayto's appeal. "This will be the final charge of Cosette Cosmos, the terror of the stars! History may paint us as villains, but know that we stood here in defense of our home world! So that our children would not bear the horrors we did! So that no one else but us will have to dirty their hands! All ships forward! Ryders, on me! Onwards to hell!"

"Incoming! Multiple missile launches detected from pirate Ryders!" Ava's fingers flew furiously across her holographic keyboard as a klaxon wailed through the CIC. "Radiation spike! Detecting two nuclear signals from pirate cruisers! They're launching nukes!"

"Have the fleet come about! Minimize our forward profiles!" Kayto grimly studied the readouts of his ship's operational status. After the beating the _Sunrider_ had taken from Arcadius's Ryders, nearly every section and sub-system of his ship was strained to critical failure, if it hadn't gone offline already. With hull integrity as such, the nuclear missiles launched wouldn't even need to hit the _Sunrider_ to blow her to pieces. "Task our remaining flak network to intercepting the conventional ship-to-ship missiles! Give me a sitrep on our weapons!"

"Aye Captain, gunnery reports seventy percent flak network integrity," Ava consulted the incoming reports with a long face. "Hell Dart tubes A through C offline, D through J nominal, re-arming in progress! Savior mag coil alignments are shot; I rate our accuracy at no more than twenty five percent of nominal performance. Starboard Trinities are offline; unable to re-route controls. Port Trinities intact."

"Have Armory get our remaining Hell Darts hot on the double!" Kayto tapped new commands into his console. "Get me firing solutions on every ship within range; prepare for simultaneous missile launch. Black Jack," Kayto highlighted the two nuclear missiles on the Ryder tac net as priority targets. "If one of those nukes even sneezes at the fleet, we're done. I need them out of the sky; now."

"Roger that, Capt'n!" Asaga's voice grated with strain as Black Jack pushed forward, engines on full burn. "I've got the one at two o'clock. Phoenix, you've got the one at ten. Seraphim, Paladin; keep those pirate Ryders off us!"

"It just never ends does it?" Icari asked wryly, grimacing as she pulled Phoenix into a tight arc towards her assigned target, bracing hard against the acceleration. "My autocannons are empty… I guess there's no choice; you owe me a drink for this one Captain!"

With a flash, Phoenix's engines flared a brilliant blue as the Ryder cut across the cloud of missiles streaking towards Kayto's fleet. Exhaust ports glowing cherry red as the superheated reaction mass cut a burning thermal trail across the storm of missiles, Phoenix blinded the missiles' relatively simple targeting sensors and compelled their tracking systems to lock onto its brilliant wake.

"Redlining reactor!" A bead of sweat rolled down Icari's temple as she mashed forward on her control yokes, leading the missiles off course. "Warranty's going to be bust after this one…"

"Phoenix, adjust your pitch by minus half a degree," Kayto linked his tactical suite to Phoenix's flight computers, cottoning onto Icari's plan. "Don't spare the horses if you don't want to glow in the dark after this."

"Har. Har." Icari's face turned a shade paler, although whether that was from the acceleration forcing her blood downwards or the prospect of weathering a nuclear blast through Phoenix's almost non-existent shielding and armor was unclear. "ANGEL armed! Crossing the nuke's projected flight path; Launching!"

Phoenix's stabilizers spread slightly as recessed plates slid back, its silhouette against the brilliant halo of its engines shifting and elongating as the Phoenix unfurled its wings properly. Becoming almost painful to look at, the wings seemed to glow as dozens of flares ignited with a pure, magnesium burn, dropping behind Phoenix and fanning out behind the Ryder's luminous wake. The next instant, the flares seemed to multiply tenfold as a similar number chaff canisters detonated, their mirror-like contents scattering the light and heat of the flares in wild, scintillating patterns.

Streaking through the lightshow, the pirate missiles plowed through the hail of heat and light for a second before their targeting computers completely scrambled, detonating their payloads blindly through the storm, wreathing the entire volume of space with fire and shrapnel.

"Lock our sensors on Phoenix!" Kayto demanded, struggling to make out Icari's Ryder through the interference. "Don't-"

A hard gem-like brilliance erupted from within the inferno, sweeping outwards and drowning out the sensors across the entire spectrum, a wall of EM radiating outwards, scattering rainbow lights across the _Sunrider's_ shields as they crackled and rippled in resonance.

"Nuclear detonation!" Ava tapped furiously on her console. "The fleet's unharmed!"

"Phoenix?!" Kayto practically shouted as he stabbed at the comms channel. "Scan for active IFF's in the detonation sphere!"

"HAHAHA!" Icari's elated whoop cut through the static. "SPEED!"

As the interference from the nuclear detonation waned, the _Sunrider's_ sensors snapped back onto Phoenix, very much in the clear and banking gracefully as it carried its incredible momentum back towards the pirate forces converging on the _Sunrider._

"Always wanted to drag with a nuke," quipped Icari, laughter ringing as she let go of the tension of the last few heartbeats. "What's the matter, Captain? Lose your cool there for a minute?"

"Still one active nuclear signature, time to intercept one hundred fifty seconds!" Ava warned him before he could get in with a retort. "Pirate missile salvos are entering our defense fields; flak network tasked to maximum!"

"Black Jack, what's your situation?" Kayto's hands gripped his arm rests, knuckles white. "That nuke's still coming straight at us…"

"There's enough fire out here to walk on Capt'n!" complained Asaga, her expression strained as Black Jack's frame shook as it shrugged its way through missile shrapnel. "Woah!"

Tumbling to the side, Black Jack rolled as it avoided several bright beams of laser light that cut in front of its flight path, forcing Asaga to divert from the nuclear missile's trajectory.

"Pirate Ryders incoming!" announced Ava tersely. "They're trying to cut a path for the missile!"

"No kiddin'!" Asaga's grinding teeth were practically audible from the CIC as Black Jack continued to dodge the incoming fire, trying to break past and draw a bead on the incoming nuclear missile once more.

"Stand by for assistance."

"Seraphim's reactor output is climbing!" Ava shouted, projections of Sola's Ryder flashing all manner of warning signs as her Awakening took hold. "All limits exceeded!"

In an instant, no fewer than five lances of pure white light cut a blinding path across the main screens towards the pirates, spearing their Ryders in such rapid succession that Kayto could barely blink before four of the pirate Ryders were annihilated. The fifth shot clipped one of the pirate Ryder's engine boosters, looking like a near miss for an instant before the booster blew apart, sending the parent Ryder into a dizzying tumble before it slammed into Havok in flaming embrace.

Before the pirates could so much as reel in shock, Paladin threw itself headfirst through the explosions towards the remaining pirate Ryders as their formation shattered. Without slowing, Paladin slammed into one of the remaining pirate Ryders full on with its shield, crumpling the illegally restored frame like so much tin foil as it blasted past the stricken Havok, showering the damaged Ryder with autocannon fire.

"Black Jack! Take the shot!" yelled Kryska.

"I got it, I got it!" screamed Asaga, mashing down on her firing controls.

Shoulder lasers firing as fast as they would cycle, streaks of blue laser light knifed out into the distance as the entire CIC crew held its collective breath. Two uncomfortable heartbeats later, a distant flash signified Black Jack's success.

"Nuclear detonation detected," confirmed Ava, no small relief in her voice. "No additional nuclear signals on sensors." Amid the sea of yellow and red on the _Sunrider's_ status screens, several green signals flared to life. "Captain, Armory reporting ready; Hell Darts re-armed! Firing solutions locked, removing safeties."

"Let them have it Commander," Kayto nodded grimly at the remaining pirate ships in the distance. "Give them a taste of their own medicine."

Outside the _Sunrider_ , pod after pod of Hell Dart missiles launched, flash frozen clouds of propellant wreathing the ship in a cloud of fog as nearly a hundred of them streaked away towards the pirate fleet in the distance. Unlike the true warships in Kayto's fleet, the pirate fleet ships were ill equipped to survive against the wall of missile fire they found themselves facing. With almost deliberate slowness, the _Sunrider's_ Hell Darts began to impact on the pirate ships' green hulls.

"Intercept rate less than thirty percent; salvo making contact now," Ava's voice was pitiless as she poured over the tactical feeds coming into her console. On screen, the pirate ships began to break apart as dozens of missiles hit home, burning through layers of armor and blasting the scavenged ships apart deck by deck. "Multiple good hits; all targets in our AO sunk or removed from play; I'm detecting a significant reduction in incoming fire."

"A-arggghhhh!" Cosette's scream echoed over the comms as she fought with her controls, her cockpit a bloody red as Havok reeled from the impact of its subordinate Ryder, tumbling blindly, wreathed in flame. Whether the scream was for the devastation wrought upon her fleet, Ryder, or both was entirely unclear. "Everyone left… form up. Time for one more pass!"

"It's over Cosette!" Asaga blurted over the comms, pivoting Black Jack and squaring off against Havok as it stabilized, sloughing off burned and damaged armor and ejecting the spent missile launchers attached to its shoulders. Behind it, Cosette's two remaining wingmates slotted themselves onto escort positions on her flanks. "Surrender so we don't have to kill you all!"

"Hahaha…" Cosette's quiet laugh heaved with morbid amusement. "Like I said… No Surrender! Havok is far from finished! This fight's not over yet!"

Engines brightening with pent up fury, Havok lunged forward towards Black Jack with surprising speed for a Ryder of its tonnage, seemingly freed of its heavy armor cladding and all the more agile for it. Without hesitation, Havok leveled its rotary machine cannon at Black Jack like a charging knight's lance, the massive gun rotating and picking up speed for a moment before cutting loose, spent brass blossoming into vacuum and leaving a trail behind Havok as it barreled forward with its two escort Ryders in close pursuit, lasers firing.

"Eaaahhhh!" Black Jack staggered as Havok's high explosive rounds detonated around it and on the Ryder's reactive armor plates. Gritting her teeth, Asaga slammed her controls forward, gunning Black Jack towards Havok's formation. "Don't… mess… with me!" Asaga shouted, her Ryder shaking like a thing possessed as it plowed forward against the hail of gunfire, bullets ricocheting off its armor and the flat of its blade, drawn and held at the ready.

" **Foolish Villain."**

Asaga's voice deepened, filled with burning wrath and potency as her face hardened, tightening into a harsh mask of righteous fury.

"Captain!" Ava struggled to make sense of the telemetry from Black Jack's sensor suite. "Asaga's Awakening again! Black Jack's reactor output is off the charts!"

Black Jack's exhaust thrust seemed to intensify by an order of magnitude as it suddenly veered off it's head-on approach to Havok, dodging the incoming laser fire as it rocketed away at an impossible angle, ignoring the laws of physics and inertia.

"W-what!?" Cosette struggled to bring her gun back to bear, but Black Jack's maneuvers were too much for her heavy Ryder to keep up with.

" **You cannot soothe your conscience with excuses."**

Without warning, Black Jack's trajectory changed at a whim once again, this time angling the Ryder straight for one of Cosette's wingmen. Before the pirate could even react or begin to change course, Black Jack cut down from above, its anti-Ryder blade slicing through the entirety of the Ryder as though it were made of wax, leaving the explosion of fire and metal in its wake.

"T-tsch!" Cosette gritted her teeth, swinging her Ryder in a wild arc and firing at Black Jack in a desperate gesture as the impossibly nimble Ryder jetted to the other side of her formation. "What would a Ryuvian Princess know about poverty!? What would she know of desperation!?"

" **Irrelevant."**

Pulse lasers strobbed as Black Jack seemed to reappear behind Cosette's remaining wingmate, burning through the Ryder in an instant and melting it into a twisted effigy of what it was before slapping aside its remnants mercilessly with the flat of its anti-Ryder blade and blasting off into the distance.

" **Your hands are soaked with blood. Your mind is as malignant and twisted as your deformed body. Your words are empty and hollow. No mitigation. No justification. No claims to the greater good. Justice shall be done to all. I am your judge and arbitrator; my sword, your fate."**

Black Jack swiveled, thrusters burning like twin suns as it arrested its incredible velocity in an instant and flew straight for Havok as though in joust, lasers glowing with a cruel, harsh light.

"Just what- AARRRGGGHHH!"

Havok recoiled horribly as Black Jack's lasers burned past it, one beam slamming into its shoulder and deforming the armature below as it sawed downwards, military grade armor flashing and boiling away like paper to a flame.

"Cosette... Yield!" Kayto shouted as Black Jack streaked towards Havok, anti-Ryder blade gleaming at the ready. "Surrender to us and I'll listen to what you have to say. You're not the only one fighting for the Neutral Rim!"

"Y-you…" Cosette's voice cracked at the edges, fear breaking through beneath the agony, Black Jack's approach reflected in her wide eyes.

"Asaga, STOP!"

"E-eh!?" Asaga gasped, wrenching her controls at the last moment as Black Jack's blade flashed forward, dropping her Ryder's course and causing her Ryder's blade to miss Havok's torso and reactor by a hair-raising margin as it sliced across the Ryder's midsection, cleanly cleaving the Ryder in two.

"ARRGH!" Cosette screamed again, barely audible over the wailing alarms on her end of the transmission as Havok's stabilization thrusters on its "legs" flickered with uneven thrust, detonating and rocking the stricken remnants of her Ryder.

"O-oh! W-what am I doin'?" Asaga shook her head, trying to clear it, sounding utterly confused as though waking from dream. "E-ehh!? W-what the hell happened to Havok!? It's completely wrecked!"

"She doesn't remember?" Ava asked under her breath as she furrowed her brow. "Asaga's powers helped us out of a tight spot with Arcadius, but if she can't control them…"

"Another problem, another time," Kayto felt a lifetime's worth of strain and tension begin to leave his body as a migraine began to settle in its place. On the tactical screen, the the space around the _Sunrider_ and her fleet pulsed clear, all hostile contacts sunk or neutralized. "Everyone, stand down, all Ryders, return to the _Sunrider_. Black Jack, tow what's left of Havok. Alert Security; let them know we have a second prisoner en route to the hangar."

Pressing a hand to his temple, he slumped in his captain's chair. With the Paradox Core secured and the PACT fleet preparing for retreat, the Battle of Helion was essentially over, and yet, as he stared out at the hundreds of wrecked hulls and sunken ships scattered across the battlefield, he felt utterly drained, as far from victorious as he could imagine.

* * *

Fontana surveyed PACT fleet from the observation deck of the _Vae Victus_ , hands deep in the pockets of his greatcoat. Almost immediately after assuming command of the PACT fleet, his orders to begin preparations for an organized withdrawal from the system had been heeded, willingly or not, the fleet beginning the processes of recovering their Ryders and lifepods. Although most of the fleet's captains had accepted his authorization codes and command, a significant fraction of the fleet had maintained a sullen radio silence since his initial broadcast revealing his or the prototypes' treachery, depending on how one chose to align themselves. Fortunately, the late prototype's plan to sacrifice the entire fleet to detonate the Paradox Core had done little to refute his claim that both Arcadius and the ideals he had once stood for had been corrupted, a significance not lost upon the captains who had pledged loyalty to his command.

Closing his eyes and exhaling explosively, Fontana's hand clenched into a fist around his pocket watch. How many PACT men and women had given their lives for that monstrosity's hubris? How many worlds had wept blood and sweat in toil to the perversion of their own ideals? If only he had the courage and wisdom to act sooner… But the mantel Arcadius had left to the Revolution would now be his to carry; he had failed that charge until now, but no longer.

Drawing the pocket watch forward, he clicked it open on reflex, studying the face of the antique device for a moment before turning his attention to the scene before him once again, his fleet's warp drives beginning to spool as they prepared for warp. Although technically withdrawing from the battle, the PACT fleet had arguably dealt two blows for every one taken against the Alliance. Majority of the wrecked ships between the two fleets bore the emerald colors of the Alliance beneath shattered metal and burned armor. To their credit however, the Alliance men and women had a conviction and courage he'd never known from the Imperials during the Revolution.

"Vennessar." A bridge officer saluted crisply as he stepped onto the observation deck. "Our ships have performed an orderly retreat; we're prepared to warp on your command."

"Thank you," Fontana frowned, keeping his eyes fixed on the crimson fleet surrounding him. "Order the fleet to withdraw to rally point Omicron."

"And the Paradox Core, Sir?"

Fontana scowled at the structure in the distance as it hung above Helions fiery surface. Undoubtedly, even as they spoke, the Alliance fleet was advancing on the weapon, eager to lay claim to the prize they had paid thrice over for in blood. The sacrifice of good men and women for the ambitions of those above them never ended, but in this regard, the PACT had been equally blinded.

"Even in its disarmed state, I would be loath to allow the Alliance Imperialists to seize control of the Core. No doubt they would seek to create Cores of their own if the means was made available to them. Have your men made the preparations?" asked Fontana, sparing a sideways glance towards his subordinate.

"Yes sir! My men have rigged explosives throughout the Core to detonate on your command. All ships have now retreated safely away from the perimeter."

"Good." Fontana clicked his pocket watch shut with an air of finality. "Send the signal. The PACTs future was never wrested from the past; it was won in the present. The galaxy has no need for a weapon that would tear the very fabric of time itself."

"Understood." The woman beside him nodded and raised her cuff to her lips, relaying the command. "Detonate the explosives!"

"..." Several heartbeats went by as Fontana looked towards the Core in expectation, a rising sense of wrongness intruding on the moment as he turned to his officer, who looked no less disturbed. "...What's wrong!?"

"The explosives are not responding to the signal!" The woman wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, consulting a readout on her bracelet. "We're being jammed!"

"By whom!?" Fontana's jaw locked, instinctively knowing the answer already. "All the prototypes should have been destroyed!"

"Sensors resolving the countersignal; the prototype's mindstream network is still active!" The officer made a gesture, causing the observation deck's displays to leap forward towards the source.

"Tsch!" Fontana clenched his teeth, glaring at the _Sunrider's_ profile. "That ship again… It seems our destinies are intertwined…"

"Shall I inform the fleet to re-engage Vennasar?"

Fontana stared out at the approaching Alliance fleet with a cold gaze, swallowing his anger and disappointment. "No. Enough men and women have lost their lives for that accursed station today. We've already disarmed and dismantled the critical components. It will have to be enough. Order our fleet to withdraw immediately, captain."

"Vennasar." The captain saluted and stepped back.

All around him, flashes of light and the rippling of space began to enshroud his fleet as they began to transition to warp, disappearing from the system in the blink of an eye. With a heavy heart, Fontana fixed his eyes on the Paradox Core and the scores of Alliance ships descending upon it until the view disappeared into darkness as the _Vae Victus_ followed her fleet into the dark.

"Shields… what have you done...?"


	29. Family

**Chapter 2: Family**

Icari groaned with relief as a stream of hot water ran over her body, spending several minutes soaking through her long, dark hair and reveling in the unexpected luxury of privacy in the crew showers. With the pilot's private showers damaged in the battle, using the general showers until they were repaired was a necessity, albeit one she admittedly had more than a few reservations about. She'd even briefly considered twisting Kayto's arm into letting her use the shower in his quarters; on the balance though, that would probably be even more awkward than just biting the bullet and showering with the rest of the _Sunrider's_ female crew.

Slowly, under the water's gentle caress, she felt the taut knots in her muscles begin to relax and to loosen as her fatigue and aches began to ease away. Between the fevered combat during the entire battle and the double shift she'd pulled on rescue and recovery afterwards, she felt as though she'd aged five years in the last two days. Still, despite everything, here she was, alive, or close enough to it, to even enjoy the shower in the first place. As bad as it was, she'd gotten off light compared to any number of crewmen and Ryder pilots counted among the casualties of the largest engagement in the war so far.

"Tsch…" Icari glopped shampoo into her hands and began working the lather into the roots of her hair, closing her eyes and firmly setting her mouth; dwelling on the battle and the cost of victory wasn't going to help anyone. Shoving the thought from her mind, Icari willed herself to just enjoy the sound of splashing water and the warm breath of steam as she took a deep breath.

The sound of the shower room door sliding open signaled the unwelcome end to her privacy, causing her back to stiffen instinctively as her emerald eyes flew open to track the newcomer. Old habits and all.

"Guck!" Icari's eyes widened with surprise as Kryska stepped into the showers, a wry, amused expression on her face as she boldly strode straight at Icari with a casual comfort and confidence in her body.

"Permission to enter!?" Kryska mockingly saluted as she took the shower immediately next to Icari despite the otherwise empty room, utterly ignoring Icari's thinly veiled discomfort.

"U-uck…" Icari spluttered slightly. "Well I guess it's fine! W-we're both girls after all!" Icari mumbled the last bit seemingly more to herself than for Kryska's benefit.

"HAH! Hahaha!" Kryska put her hands on her narrow hips and belted out a peal of laughter. "What's the matter, Mercenary? Civilian life never prepare you for a communal shower?"

"S-shut it!" Icari fiercely resumed lathering her hair, taking out her frustration on a few tangles of hair. "I've got nothing to hide, especially from you!" she declared, puffing out her chest to make her point.

"That's the spirit," Kryska chuckled as she began to shower too. "Nothing beats the first shower after a battle! That wasn't an easy fight, but we gave those Reds a beating back that they won't forget anytime soon. Nothing can stand up to the courage and dedication of the Alliance Navy!"

"How about we give the propaganda campaign a break for once?" grumbled Icari, shooting a sideways glare at Kryska. Sighing, she felt a small twist of regret as the sound of running water filled the silence between the two for a moment. Less rhetoric, perhaps, than the Alliance pilot's way of coping with the price of their victory. "Well… uh…" Icari relented. "Despite everything, we managed to keep the _Sunrider_ in one piece… mostly. So I… uh… well whatever, Soldier Boy! Here's the soap!"

Kryska grinned as Icari slapped a bar of soap into her hand. "With this victory, it won't be long before the fleet rallies at Cera. The PACT bit off more than it could chew; their posture in the Neutral Rim was overconfident and their ships are no match for the might of the Alliance! They'll be suing for peace in no time! Once they're willing to sit down and talk, the war will be over!"

"S-seriously," Icari rolled her eyes. "It's too early for victory speeches already… who knows what'll happen next time. But anyways, you flew well out there… so uh… thanks."

"HAH!" Kryska barked out a laugh. "You're not as bad as I thought either, Mercenary. Still have a few tricks up your sleeve I see. Good work with that nuke. I'm proud to be your comrade." Grabbing Icari's hand, Kryska shook it firmly, grinning. "When this is all over, let's grab drinks on Solaris!"

"C-comrade!?" Icari grumbled, struggling to avoid letting a scathing retort drop from her lips. "S-seriously… Well you'd better prepare yourself! I'm not gonna be out done by a choir boy like you at the tap!"

"Ha!" Kryska's eyes glittered with challenge. "They call me 'Stonewall' for more than one reason. You'd better hope your liver holds up longer than your Ryder's armor!"

"Y-You!" Icari flushed, wrenching her hand back from Kryska. "Leave the Ryders out of it!"

"HAHAHA!"

* * *

Kayto peered through the harsh lights of the _Sunrider's_ brig, looking into one of the occupied cell blocks with a frown on his face. Beside him, Chigara darted a nervous glance between the cell's occupant and the Captain while Claude hummed absentmindedly, playing with her cuffs and primping the ribbon on her uniform.

Behind the thick plexiglass walls and forcefields which penned in the prisoner, the now diminished and hardly intimidating prototype glared back, dressed in the featureless orange prisoner's smock, arms crossed. It was almost laughable, in a way, that the young woman in the cell had once been Veniczar Arcadius, one of the galaxy's most powerful and enigmatic figures.

"So, who is she?" Kayto turned to Claude, snapping his fingers for her attention.

"I've performed a preliminary medical workup," purred Claude, waving her hand and bringing up a number of holographic reports on the wall next to the cell. Imaging, lab values, and other esoterica scrolled, more or less meaningless to anyone but the doctor. "For all intents and purposes, she seems to be a human, at least superficially. There are signs, however, of extensive genetic engineering; there are significant alterations to hundreds of genomic loci and dozens of sequences with no homology to any known evolutionary branches of humanity in our database. I can say definitively that these changes are deliberate and artificial. The sequences that are most recognizable are…" Claude nodded towards Chigara as the other woman gulped nervously. "The closest analogy might be that she's Chigara's sister. A heavily modified and artificially created sister."

"Except…" Kayto's eyes turned to his Chief Engineer. "Chigara doesn't have sisters."

"No," Chigara shook her head, a look of confusion swirling behind her eyes. "I don't have sisters. This is the first time I've seen an artificial human, much less a sister…"

Kayto nodded firmly, letting his gaze reassure Chigara that he believed her entirely. "So she's not your actual sister. Any ideas about her origins then?"

Chigara shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Only one choice then," Kayto turned back to the cell in front of them and tapped his bracelet, activating the cell's intercom system. "Looks like we'll have to ask her directly." Stepping up to the glass, Kayto looked the prototype in the eye, ensuring that he had her attention. "I'm Captain Shields. You're aboard the CSF _Sunrider_."

"Peh." The Prototype snorted, tossing her short hair back and fixing him with a penetrating look, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of her lips. "What do you want?"

"You're a prisoner of war under Article Seven of the Cera Military Code," Kayto folded his hands behind the small of his back. "My crew and I will treat you fairly and respect your basic human rights to the extent required under that code. If you cooperate, we can discuss expanding that respect to the extent allowed by that code. Do you have a name?"

"Prototype L7NN." The prototype seemed utterly disinterested in Kayto's words, offering no change in demeanor or voice as she gave her name in a bored, deadpan tone.

"That's hardly a proper name," Kayto shrugged as his words provoked no further elaboration or substantiation. "I suppose you can hardly complain if I call you 'Lynn' then. It's part of Chigara's name, coincidentally. Didn't you mention your relation earlier?"

"Of course." Lynn smirked and leaned forward until her nose was almost touching the glass and forcefields of her cell. "We are all sisters. Together, we are Legion. But the others are silent now. The ones nearest us are dead. But there are more. There will always be more."

Kayto returned the gaze coolly, making a mental note. The prototypes had alluded to the capacity to communicate between one another, now an ability more or less confirmed by Lynn's boast. Although he'd assumed they were coordinated by the technology in their Ryders, what Lynn was describing sounded almost like telepathy, bordering on the realms of fantasy and myth. Of course, that was precisely what the Ryuvian's Lost Technology seemed like until their scientific principles were unraveled. Could the prototypes be the product of more Lost Technology?

"So you can't hear your sisters now?" Kayto arched an eyebrow. "You've been cut off. You must be scared, maybe even terrified. Is this the first time you've been disconnected?"

Something shifted in Lynn's eyes and she looked away, her arms wrapping tighter around herself as she stepped back and glared at the corner of her cell.

 _Bingo._ Kayto felt a weight lift from his shoulders as Lynn's silence told him everything he needed to hear. "If Chigara's one of yours, why can't you hear her thoughts?" Kayto asked rhetorically, smugness in his voice.

Only silence met him. The prototype had no more words it seemed and everything about her body language suggested she had no further interest in continuing the conversation. It seemed almost like they had a hivemind, their web of communications almost a prerequisite to normal function. Without it, they were individual, isolated, weak.

Nodding, Kayto switched off the intercom and pulled back from the cell, looking between Claude and Chigara, giving the latter a reassuring smile. "We'll watch her for now. I don't know what, if anything, she can even try in that cell, but be careful anyways. So long as we don't let more prototypes aboard this ship, I don't think she'll be able to do much or give them much."

"Mhm!" Claude grinned and giggled. "Tee Hee! She looks like a small girl now. It's a bit embarrassing that we were intimidated by Arcadius when he was this little girl all along!"

"Eh-heh," Chigara laughed nervously as well, clearly somewhat relieved.

"Anyways, record everything and see if she starts talking again. We'll see what we can learn from her," Kayto massaged his stiff neck. "And speaking of little…" he cast a glance over at the other side of the brig, eyeing the second prisoner the _Sunrider_ had taken during the battle of Helion.

Either Cosette could lip read or she'd guessed at his aside; the pirate queen's face was plastered to the side of the glass with an ugly expression, clearly his act of mercy in saving her life cutting no ice between the two. Kayto swallowed; last time the two had been so close he'd come away from the encounter definitively worse for the wear. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but nevertheless, he wondered why he'd even bothered to take the woman alive. Certainly no worlds or families would have shed tears over the death of Cosette Cosmos, "Terror of the Stars," considering how many she'd butched over the years. Some hope of redemption then? Maybe he he simply needed to prove to himself that despite everything, the torture he'd suffered at her hands or all the times she'd tried to kill him and his crew, he was still better than her; that she hadn't broken him or his principles.

As she pounded on the wall separating the two, Cosette plastered her face against the glass and snorted, fogging the pane and disappearing from sight momentarily.

"Our pirate friend seems to have acclimated well to the brig," remarked Kayto, forcing calm and giving Cosette's display a bored look. Keying the intercom on his bracelet, he frowned as Cosette's voice shrilled over the intercom.

"YOU BASTARD, WHAT DID YOU CALL ME-"

Kayto switched the intercom off again and shrugged, turning away from the pirate's fierce but futile display. "Make sure she doesn't hurt herself," he ordered Claude.

"Sah!" Claude chopped her hand to her forehead in a sloppy salute.

"Chigara," Kayto beckoned to his chief engineer and the two left the brig, both feeling no small relief as the hatch sealed behind them.

Walking down the _Sunrider's_ corridors in silence, the two stepped past collapsed beams and blown conduits, the walls not infrequently scorched with soot or bearing some smear of blood. The crew they passed were no less weathered, their wan faces haggard with exhaustion as they pulled shift after shift to keep the ship afloat and engaged with Alliance rescue and recovery efforts. Finally, they found themselves in a quiet stretch of hall, relatively unscathed by the battle, welcomingly quiet and pensive with the twinkle of starlight, save for the occasional flicker as the hallway screens struggled to keep up with the _Sunrider's_ unsteady power grid.

"C-captain…" Chigara broke the silence hesitantly, a real quality of fear in her voice.

"You're troubled." Kayto cleared his throat, turning to his chief engineer and stopping them in the hallway. "I'm… I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for you, when you were alone in Liberty. It must have been terrible-"

"No," Chigara cut him off with a sad but kind smile. "There was nothing you could've done or said that would have made it easier. And you were still doing your best to keep us all alive. I'm sorry I let everyone down… it was all I could do to land safely…" Turning away, Chigara let out a world-weary sigh and leaned on the railings, staring out at the holographic projection of space around them. "About Lynn… about the rest of the prototypes. I was completely clueless. I had no idea they existed. Engineered siblings of myself…" Chigara shook her head with an expression of confusion and profound distress.

"Could they have been created behind your back?" Kayto struggled to make sense of the information. Chigara had said she was from Diode; a place of legendary scientific advancement and a repository of knowledge and technology rivaling that of the Ancient Ryuvians if legends were true. With that, was it really that unreasonable that someone could have cloned and manipulated Chigara's genome for their own purposes?

"I had always considered my childhood normal," Chigara's eyes fixed on the distance wistfully. "Performing experiments with my parents, learning to continue and contribute to their work. They were happy days. I was an only child and my parents gave me all their love and attention."

Kayto frowned slightly from behind Chigara. Despite the earnestness in her words, nothing about that childhood sounded remotely normal, at least not compared to his own.

"A-anyways!" Chigara spun around to face him again, clutching a hand to her chest, her eyes pleading. "I never knew I had hundreds of sisters wandering around, all plotting to take over the galaxy! C-Chigara has no interest in galactic overlordship! J-just proprietorship of a small bakery is already more than enough!"

Kayto snorted, laughter diffusing the tense energy in the air. Everything they knew or thought they knew about the prototypes was barely enough to fill a page, but he knew Chigara was telling the truth. Whatever the prototypes were planning, whatever their role in the galaxy, he knew instinctively that the woman in front of him wanted nothing to do with any of it. "No one's questioning your loyalty, Chigara," he said firmly, fixing her with a serious look as he sobered. Putting his hands gently on her shoulders, he steadied her and felt her relax a degree with his touch. "We would never have made it this far without you. You kept us alive, upgraded our systems, worked harder than anyone else on this ship so that we'd have a chance of accomplishing our mission. You would never betray us."

"C-captain," Chigara giggled and blushed a little, stepping a shade closer into his space as she looked up in his face with genuine happiness dancing behind her sapphire eyes. "Eh-heh… n-no…" her blush intensified. "You musn't keep saying things like that." Sighing, she let his hands rest on her shoulders for another heartbeat before pulling back, a demure smile beneath the blush. "Thank you, Captain. I think I feel a bit better now. Please see me later… I'm… making something for you."

"Really?" Kayto felt a stupid grin climb onto his face, irresistable.

"Yes." Chigara held his gaze for a moment longer than comfort allowed before turning away and walking down the hall with a small spring in her step. "Please look forward to it."

Watching her back retreat and disappear around the corner, Kayto felt his eyes linger on the corridor intersection, as though hoping she'd change her mind and step back into sight. "I will."

* * *

Asaga pressed her cheek against the cool of the viewport, sending rippling interference across the display of stars and the dark of space. Alone in the Ryder pilots quarters, she tried desperately to marshal her thoughts and collect herself. Truth be told, she barely remembered most of the battle. One moment she'd been launching in Black Jack, wild elation and bursting pride burning in her chest as Kayto led the _Sunrider_ into the fiercest battle of the war, her at his side as CAG. The next, she was staring at a retreating PACT fleet, a sense of unreality as the PACT leadership unraveled. Then she was staring at the remnants of Havok, hacked to pieces by Black Jack's blade. In between, she remembered only flashes, brilliant light, a sense of ascendancy, the thrum of power as her very body became a conduit for something greater than herself.

"What… came over me?" she muttered, staring at her reflection in the holographic display, looking deep into her own emerald eyes and finding only swirling confusion and uncertainty.

 **"Asaga."**

Asaga jerked back, electricity running down her spine and her hair standing on end as she darted a look behind her. Nothing. And yet… the voice had been as clear as water, as real as anything else she'd ever heard. Turning back to the viewport, her eyes widened in shock as she found her reflection looking back, no longer mirroring the shock she felt on her face, but a study in stern judgement. Glaring back, the spectre's eyes flared a brilliant blue, the pure, burning light drowning out the jade and boring into her as her alter ego commanded her attention. "W-who-!?"

 **"Do not fear."** The apparition's voice echoed slightly, but brimmed with ancient wisdom and a sense of potency, addressing her as a matron would an errant child. But beneath it all, a burning, suppressed rage, as though the energy and power behind the other woman's eyes were barely contained, ready to flash out in a torrent of cleansing fire at but a moment's notice. **"I am but a part of you; Awakened by the strength of your will and your birthright as the Heir of Ryuvia. Reflect on your feelings. You know I am the embodiment of your emotions and desires, made real by your will."**

"You don't…" Asaga gulped. "You don't actually exist. You're just inside my head!"

 **"Yes."** Her other self nodded without any change in expression. **"Your powers have at last begun to manifest. In time, you will become indomitable. An unstoppable instrument of Justice to judge the sins of all Mankind; the Arbiter the weak and oppressed cry out for. Your companions ignore the dues they owe for they cannot perceive the greatness of the destiny that awaits you. You are not in his sight. But she is. You are the Sharr, the one that will bring Justice and balance to this galaxy."** The other's face twisted into a snarl as she leaned forward, eyes flaring with righteous fury. **"While she wears the face of an evildoer. One who would subject the galaxy to the chains of slavery and bring about a dark age of cruelty and pain unending."**

"No…" Asaga shook her head and backed away from the viewport. "Chigara's my friend. She… she wouldn't…"

 **"Already, she has squirmed her way into his heart. She will seduce his trust, corrupt his kindness. His goodness shall be his undoing. You alone can defend this ship. You alone can save him!"**

"No!" Asaga backpedaled further, willing those burning eyes to let fall that terrible gaze. "I-I don't like these feelings! G-get outta me!"

"A-ah!"

A quiet voice behind her made Asaga jump and stagger. "U-uwaaah!" Tripping, Asaga's feet and legs somehow managed to entangle themselves; crying out in surprise as her balance gave way and her world slipped out from underneath, Asaga crashed to the floor in a confused and undignified heap. Looking up, she found Sola looking down on her with an expression of mixed concern and profound disappointment. Flushing scarlet, Asaga darted a look back at the viewport, finding nothing but the serenity of space looking back, her vision gone as suddenly as it had come. "H-how long were you there?" she asked Sola, scrambling to her feet and making a show of dusting off and hoisting a cheesy smile on her face.

Sola's delicate features settled into an inscrutable mask. Completely still, Sola merely looked at Asaga, her lack of reaction or contribution far more unnerving than any kind of protest or exclamation. Finally, she broke the awkward silence. "Heard the entire thing."

"Huuu… N-no way…" Asaga's shoulders slumped and the grin washed off her face in an instant.

Sola slid past Asaga, sitting down on her bunk and removing her shoes with deliberate slowness. "You are troubled."

"Well… yeah…" Asaga mumbled, rubbing her neck, a fierce glow on her cheekbones. "How do I put this…" Asaga fished around for the right words. Although they were about the same age, in some ways, Sola felt like a distant, old aunt, someone who could maybe offer her a piece of advice or guidance, nevermind that she probably was, in fact, some kind of distant relation that only the court genealogist could work out without suffering some kind of apoplectic stroke.

"I am inexperienced with matters of the heart," Sola curtailed that particular line of inquiry before it could even properly start, her blunt tone completely shattering any illusion that she might offer Asaga any insight or advice with Kayto. Silence fell between the two for another minute before Sola turned her amber eyes to Asaga with a serious expression filled with weariness. "The Ryuvian Court of my time was a place rife with dark emotions. Jealousy. Paranoia. Lust. They fester in your heart. They consume you. Until the men and women it feeds on can no longer be called human, but monsters."

"Easy for you, Sola!" Asaga shot back, her frustration rising and threatening to claw its way out from inside her chest. "You don't feel any emotions!"

Sola stared at Asaga for a moment longer before swinging her slender legs up into her bunk, turning her face away to stare at the wall. Her voice, however, remained as deadpan and steady as ever as it floated over her shoulder. "One would rather feel nothing at all than pain, no?"

"Hmph." Asaga crossed her arms, blowing a strand of red hair out of her face.

"Forgive me." Sola turned slightly, a single honey colored eye peering over her shoulder again. "I have overstepped my bounds. I am no Sharr. Merely a pale imitation, impressed into service and elevated by desperation." Again, she turned away, this time with a sense of finality.

"Sola?" Asaga felt a prickle of curiosity despite her annoyance; Sola had seldom mentioned any part of her past and if anyone else alive knew what it felt like to be a Sharr or something like a Sharr, it was her. "Hey, Sola!"

No response came from the other woman, save for the rustling of fabric as Sola pulled a blanket over herself, disappearing from sight.

Great power begot arrogance, entitlement, and corruption. Sola felt a numb sensation spill over her as she drifted in the dark, afloat on memories of an Empire long dead. Their omnipotent powers had proven to be their undoing; greed and ambition exceeding control and temperance, tearing the galaxy asunder. It was a story that had echoed through human history before humanity had even taken to the stars, one she had hoped would be averted in the future she'd found herself in. And yet, here she was, the victim of Fate's cruelty, forced to watch the story unfold yet again.

* * *

Kayto ambled down the _Sunrider's_ corridors, lips quirked upwards in a smile. Knowing that Chigara had bade him farewell with her spirits buoyed had lifted a weight off his shoulders as well, not to mention her promise of a surprise. Idly, he wondered what she could be preparing, indulging in a vision of icing and fresh fruit as he walked almost headfirst into Ava at a corridor intersection.

"O-oh." Kayto blinked as Ava glared at him, arms crossed, her remorseless cerise eyes boring into him and daring him to start first,making no effort to spare him her disapproval. As mounting horror took its toll, he felt the smile slide off his face with comedic slowness. "Ahem… well…" Gulping and clearing his throat awkwardly, Kayto veered to the side, hanging a hard right and making to hightail it back to his quarters, dignity be damned, his self-preservation instincts kicking in. He'd seen that look on Ava's face more than once in the past and it had never bode well; it was all he could do to not drop the entire pretense of self-control and simply make a run for it.

"Captain!" Ava's voice cracked like a whip, causing Kayto's entire back to stiffen in anticipation of the impending lecture. Marching after him, she chased him down, power walking with an almost manic intensity that sent any crewmember foolish enough to stand in the way diving for cover. "I've tolerated everything from you so far: unorthodox tactics, relaxed military regulations, civilian contractors with no more character references or approval than your own! But this time, you have crossed the line! I knew from the beginning that I was too soft with you, too relaxed aboard this ship! No longer; I will be lodging a formal complaint in regards to the operation against the _Legion_!"

"Ava," Kayto struck a reasonable tone, trying not to sound like he was whining. "Be reasonable; I'd say the operation turned out well enough."

Ava carried on, her words steamrolling over his with neither trouble nor any indication that she had considered his words of any worth at all. "You order the crew to devise a plan to sink the _Legion_. Not without insignificant effort, exactly such a plan is devised. The Alliance backs your plan, throwing hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of lives towards making that plan a reality. And then!" Ava's temper seemed to reach boiling point. "Despite expending considerable resources and lives in an attempt to exploit the _Legion's_ weakness, you issued an order to ignore it while we had the ship in our sights! Because of your order, our allied forces sustained heavy losses that were entirely preventable with no results to show for them! Worse! The PACT has now been tipped off to the _Legion's_ design flaw. According to the latest Alliance intel, the _Legion_ has retreated deep into PACT space for a design overhaul. No doubt, the PACT will compensate for and seal the only real weakness in the _Legion's_ design. The next time we face the _Legion_ , it will be nigh invincible and even more lives and ships will be lost as a result! We had but one opportunity to strike at the _Legion_ while the PACT was unaware of the vulnerability, an opportunity that you squandered!"

"But-" Kayto tried desperately to get a word in before she built up too much critical momentum, failing miserably.

"All in all!" Ava seethed, cutting Kayto off, glaring daggers. "The Battle for Helion would've been a catastrophic loss for the Alliance had it not been for Veniczar Fontana's fortuitous betrayal. Our victory was entirely situational and had we not been so lucky, none of us would be alive right now! And FINALLY, one last thing, Captain-"

"Hurk." Kayto's eyes spun a little as he struggled to absorb the verbal blows that Ava hurled at him. "Y-you mean there's more!?"

"I wholeheartedly denounce your highly inappropriate remarks regarding your… feelings towards me on the floor of the bridge!" Ava hissed, advancing on him with menace. "Shouting like a fool like that, and in front of the whole bridge crew! Unbelievable! S-such unbecoming behavior from the highest ranking Ceran officer in this fleet! Hmph!"

Kayto cringed, slowing his walk and finally stopping, turning to face his First Officer. "W-will that be all Commander?" he asked tentatively, unsure if he would set off another massive flood of criticism and disapproval.

"Sir!" Ava shouted through clenched teeth, a tick throbbing frighteningly in her temple as she saluted with mechanical precision and neurotic stiffness.

Kayto scratched the back of his head, grabbing a fistful of his hair and explosively sighing with frustration. "I'm glad to see you're safe and sound too, Ava."

"This is no time for more of your jokes and foolishness!" Ava looked practically ready to physically attack him. "You could lose your commission for this! At the very least, you'd be looking at an ugly sexual harassment suit!"

"S-sexual-?!" Kayto choked and stammered, bewildered.

Ava's glare was all the answer she deigned to give, the silence between them stretching uncomfortably.

Fighting the urge to drop his face in his hands, Kayto took a deep breath and blew out explosively again. "I wasn't going to send you to your death, Ava. Enough Ceran lives were lost to that ship and-"

"And now many more," Ava retorted, having none of it.

Kayto set his jaw, her words swirling in his breast, opening raw wounds and gouging new ones. Struggling, he shoved those emotions deeper, slamming the door shut and backing away from them as quick as he could. "We'd be insane if we weren't emotionally compromised after all that's happened," he said quietly, unable to hide the bitterness welling up from within. "We'd be monsters. I'm sorry… you were right. I should never have taken the _Sunrider_ into that battle." Looking up and meeting her gaze, Kayto squared his shoulders and soldiered on, damning the consequences. "You never realize what you still have around you. Until you're about to lose it."

"Hmph!" Ava scoffed, her facial expression suggesting the explanation was beneath any worded response.

"Anyways," Kayto dropped his gaze, feeling fatigue lapping at the shores of his consciousness. "You can go ahead and file that complaint. Considering that Command was reduced to a smoking crater a while back, it's probably going to be a little bit longer before anyone can act on it."

"I'm painfully aware of that fact, Captain," snapped Ava. Still, something in her face softened as she brushed her long chestnut hair back with a hand. "Tsch… I was… merely venting..."

Kayto forced the ghost of a smile lift his features for a moment. "Looks like you'll have to deal with me a while longer then. At least we have luck on our side."

Ava merely shook her head and gave him another look of venom before stalking away.

Behind her, Kayto's forced smile crumbled to pieces, her parting glare as stinging as any physical slap she could've given him, draining him of anything he'd recovered in the last hour. ' _Great._ Kayto kicked himself mentally, an empty feeling stealing over him as he turned and trudged the other way, dragging his feet. ' _Now she totally hates me. So much for getting closer.'_

He'd barely made it three steps before his bracelet chimed, offering an not unwelcome distraction from his own thoughts.

"This is Kayto," he answered, keeping his voice studiously neutral and swallowing the rest.

"Captain." Kryska's voice sounded like the verbal equivalent of one of her salutes, crisp and professional beyond reproach. "May I speak with you on the bridge, Sir?"

"Copy that Lieutenant," Kayto changed his course, directing his steps towards the bridge as though on autopilot. "I'll be there in a moment."

* * *

The _Sunrider's_ CIC looked worse for the wear, collapsed beams and overloaded circuits still bearing testament to the damage the ship had taken as a whole, but the same could not be said for the crew. Despite the general exhaustion, a sense of optimism seemed to permeate the bridge staff, at odds with the grim work of search and rescue that the fleet had been engaged in since the end of combat operations.

As he stepped into the CIC properly, he overheard more than one muttered conversation between various bridge officers, their voices brimming with excitement as they swapped speculation and rumor, the truth behind Arcadius's identity and the revelation of PACT infighting feeding their rekindled spirits and morale. Honestly, Kayto couldn't remember the atmosphere in his CIC being this positive and optimistic since their underdog victory at Far Port.

"Captain!" Kryska saluted in person from the CIC's tactical board.

"At ease Lieutenant," Kayto stepped over to join her, glancing at the tac map, awash in a sea of green with no enemy contacts to the edge of sensor contact. "What's our situation?"

"We've secured complete control of the Helion system," Kryska's voice sounded triumphant as she nodded to the tactical display. Tapping in a few commands, she caused the tactical screen to pull out to a larger map of the Neutral Rim as a whole. "The PACT's Helion fleet has completely withdrawn from the system. Navigation reports that their fleet has separated; the majority have fallen back to Ryuvia Prime; the rest of the fleet's retreated to Cera. Alliance Intelligence reports that the PACT invasion fleet has withdrawn from nearly a dozen minor Neutral Rim systems as well, they've likely pledged allegiance to Fontana and are massing at Ryuvia Prime with the rest of his fleet. PACT loyalists from New Eden and the surrounding systems are diverting additional forces to shore up their defenses around Cera and what's left of their occupation in the Neutral Rim."

"Hm." Kayto mused on the development. Fontana's betrayal had effectively sundered the PACT's fighting force in two. It was hard to imagine that Arcadius, or rather, the Prototypes wouldn't have been rattled by the last battle. If they were diverting defensive forces from New Eden and the PACT core worlds, PACT High Command was undoubtedly in a state of near panic. "Looks like they're giving up on the rest of the Neutral Rim and bunkering up for a defensive war…"

Kryska made a fist, pumping her arm in a gesture of triumph. "The Emerald Fleet has the PACT on the run and off balance, Captain. They were fools to challenge the Alliance!" Kryska coughed, correcting herself hastily, "and the _Sunrider_ and the Neutral Rim, of course!"

"It's fine Lieutenant," Kayto waved aside her concern, hardly feeling petty enough to make a slip of the tongue anything larger. "And the Paradox Core?" he prompted, pointing out the elephant in the room.

"Alliance forces have secured the Core," Kryska zoomed the map back in, showing the Alliance fleet holding a respectful perimeter around the Core. "The structure was abandoned, save for explosives wired throughout the entire superstructure. It appears the PACT ran out of time to complete their demolition before we took control of the system. Our specialists have defused the explosives and Admiral Grey is inspecting the Core personally as we speak. He's requested that you join him."

"I see." Kayto nodded, Kryska's purpose in calling him to the CIC suddenly clear. "All right, let's get going. We'll take any shuttle that wasn't smashed to pieces in the battle."

"Understood!" Kryska saluted and turned on her heel, leading him out of the CIC. "I've already taken the liberty of inspecting and preparing one of our shuttles for immediate departure."

' _Let's just hope this field trip goes better than the last one,'_ Kayto remarked wryly to himself.

* * *

Kayto stepped into the Paradox Core's main control room, although calling it a throne room may have been more appropriate for the style of architecture the PACT seemed to have adopted for this part of the Core. In stark contrast with the claustrophobic, utilitarian design of the rest of the Core which had led to this chamber, the main control room featured a vaulted ceiling, buttressed supports, and an expansive view of the space surrounding the Paradox Core that stretched from ceiling to floor. At the center of the cathedral-like space, a single seat of monolithic proportions, utterly dominating the entire room from its position on a raised dais, radiating a sense of grandiosity and hubris. Taking it all in, Kayto wasn't sure if he should be impressed or roll his eyes at the display; outside of portrayals of Holy Ryuvia at the height of its opulence and decadence on his parents' holodramas, he honestly could not say he'd ever seen anything quite so unnecessarily lavish or excessive.

Maybe it was a reflection of the prototypes' tastes? Or maybe they were trying to compensate for something? As Kayto eyed the massive throne at the center of the room, overseeing the rest of the controls and work stations, he struggled to imagine if it would serve to magnify or further diminish the prototypes' petite frames.

"Captain Shields, welcome" Admiral Grey stepped out from behind the throne, having evidently been examining the seat or the view it offered while waiting for Kayto, his gravelly voice as humorless and serious as ever. "Quite a grand control center, is it not?"

"Admiral." Kayto nodded at Admiral Grey and stepped forward, making his way towards the throne. Maybe the room's architecture was getting to him, executing the intended effect of elevating those on the dias and diminishing those below, but Kayto wasn't entirely sure he liked the Admiral's tone of voice or the look on his face.

The Admiral stretched his arms out, his deep voice echoing through the hall as the acoustics amplified his words to the boom of distant thunder. "A weapon more devastating than anything the human mind could even grasp, much less conceive. It is quite fitting that this weapon's creation sprang not from the mind of man, but from a monster, a corruption of science." Grey turned back to the throne, a hand tracing its way along its arm rest. "Whoever held the reins of this weapon would have held a knife to the galaxy at its very neck. Entire systems could be destroyed in the blink of an eye; a new era where entire empires would collapse and vanish in seconds. Fleets, armies, weapons, empires, politics, would have no meaning, petty differences that would all be rendered moot before the power of the Paradox Core." Nodding at the throne, Admiral Grey paused for a moment, looking out at the hellish glow of Helion as it illuminated the deep lines of his face. "The one who would sit on this chair would cease to be a man at all, but ascend to the level of divinity, wielding the power of the Gods for themselves; all other men, but beasts before their eyes, their will, absolute. A seat fit for the Ryuvian Emperor himself." His gaze distant, the Admiral seemed to peer into the interstellar dark between the stars, as though looking for something. "In times of antiquity, sons turned on their fathers for such power. Men turned into demons lusting for a taste of Godhood. The galaxy ran red with blood as they fought for dominion, even as everything they held dear burnt to ash around them..."

Kayto chewed the inside of his cheek, unsure how to respond, a sense of wrongness tingling in his spine as his hairs stood on edge. The way the Admiral's words caressed the allure of such power unnerved him, although he could hardly refute the Admiral's assessment. The very nature of such power and omnipotence was corrupting; history had shown time and again that to be true. Respecting it was one thing, but something else, perhaps a shadowy flicker behind the Admiral's dark eyes or the way his fingers lingered upon the armrest of the colossal throne, sent a ripple of alarm through Kayto's conscience.

A wry, cynical smile broke out over the Admiral's face as he returned his gaze to meet Kayto's look of discomfort. "Let us all be in relief that those dark ages are behind us and shall never again descend upon humanity." Straightening his back and stepping away from the throne, Grey walked down from the dais, meeting Kayto halfway, face-to-face. "The Core must be destroyed."

Kayto let the breath he'd been holding out, feeling a surge of relief ease through him. Somewhere, deep in his heart he had suspected… Unbidden, he flashed back to the desperate moment over the skies of Ongess where the Admiral had played his true hand. ' _Sit down boy, and let me show you War! Execute contingency plan Obsidian!'_

Mentally shaking his head, Kayto pushed the thought from his mind. War bred fear and paranoia; the Admiral was still a good man, one who, perhaps, walked the razor's edge but whose morals and principles kept him from falling as so many before him. Perhaps he'd been wrong to suspect the Admiral in the first place; the man had yet to go back on his word.

As though the Admiral could sense the conflict in Kayto, he leaned forward slightly, fixing the younger Captain with a firm look and setting a hand on his shoulder. "Many of my sons and daughters died so that we could destroy this abomination. Good men. Good women. Hundreds of families across the Alliance torn apart so that thousands would be spared the horrors of war. Their sacrifice will not be in vain."

Kayto nodded. "I pray the galaxy will never see anything like it again."

"Indeed. As do I." Grey's expression lifted as he dropped his arm. "Although I am disappointed the battle was not won by our fleet's courage and might, but rather through sedition within the enemy's ranks, this is the end of the war, Shields. With division sown among the PACT leadership and fleets, they are finished."

"And our next step?" asked Kayto.

"We press on and push further into the Neutral Rim," answered the Admiral without hesitation. "The PACT are withdrawing to a defensive posture. Cera is our goal. With Cera liberated and the Neutral Rim reclaimed, the PACT will have no option but to surrender or face a devastating offensive into the heart of their core sectors. It is not an option for their leadership."

"And the prototypes?" Kayto wondered aloud, recalling their claim that they had infiltrated leadership across known space, Alliance and PACT.

"Alliance Intelligence has already made strides in locating the rest of their ilk," responded Grey with a tone of menace. "Speaking of which, I am given to understand that you captured one of them alive."

"The prototype is our prisoner under the Ceran Military Code, yes," said Kayto, dropping his tone of voice by a degree. "My forces performed the capture; she is under our jurisdiction."

"And I don't assume you intend to turn it over." Admiral Grey half-grumbled, not missing the change in Kayto's tone or the firm set to his face as he held his ground. "Very well, Captain. I will defer custody of the prisoner and the intelligence gathering to your forces then." Waving his hand, the Admiral seemed to dismiss the matter. "At any rate, the prototypes will be neutralized in short order, both by our forces and those within the PACT. The PACT leadership is changing. The new leaders emerging, I predict, will be more amenable to our goals and point of view."

"Which are?" Kayto prompted, getting to the heart of the matter. "What does the Alliance want from this war, Admiral?"

"An end to it. Peace." Admiral Grey ran a hand across his beard. "And Freedom of course. For both the Alliance as well as the Neutral Rim. We are a nation of traders; war and sanctions hurt everyone in the Alliance; with peace and security will come prosperity. It will not be long now, Shields…" Grey smiled at Kayto as an uncle might to one of his nephews. "You, at the head of your Liberation Day parade, the mighty Hero of Cera who triumphed against all odds to bring freedom and liberty back to his homeworld. Men will cheer you, women will adore you, children will be named after you. Such days are precious to a military man." Leaning forward again, Grey's voice took on the tone of advice. "Cherish them, while they last."

"Sir?" Kayto felt himself taken slightly aback.

"War is but a playground to the perils of peacetime politics," declared the Admiral in wry cynicism, winking as he chuckled and patted Kayto on the back in good humor. "Now, let us be done with this place and send this damnable construct to the fires of Helion. I can only take so much of this grotesque architecture…"

* * *

Kayto held his breath as the countdown ticked down to zero, the entire CIC's gaze fixed on the main screen as the Paradox Core hung over Helion, outlined against the white-hot light of the sun. Slowly, with a certain balladic quality, chains of explosions began to ripple through the Paradox Core's rings, chaining one after another as the entire construct began to shatter and break apart, slowly falling into Helion's gravitational pull as it started to sink into the sun.

Wild cheers broke out among the CIC crew as they watched the Paradox Core twist part, entire ragged chunks of the strange ring-like structures of the Core tearing asunder and heating to a white hot glow as they entered the upper layers of Helion's photosphere. Beside him, Kryska beamed, barely able to contain her pride and joy. Ava was conspicuously missing, their two paths having not crossed since she confronted in the halls.

"With this, Captain, the galaxy is saved!" Kryska pumped her fist again with feeling. "The Alliance has saved Humanity!"

Wordlessly, Kayto nodded, still watching the fragments of the Paradox Core streak across the star in a fiery shower of light and heat. The Core destroyed and the PACT weakened, the war did seem to be drawing to a close, the winds of fortune firmly behind the Alliance. It all seemed too good, too fast to be true; Cera was almost within grasp. Somehow, however, Kayto couldn't shake the feeling that something was grossly amiss, something waiting to strike the moment he let his guard down. Perhaps it was the guarded attitude that growing up in the Neutral Rim had left him with, but his conversation with Admiral Grey had only marginally assuaged his concerns, the man as difficult to read as ever. Then again, maybe the burden of the war was starting to get to him, burning out his reserves and leaving only pessimism in its wake..

"We've won this battle, Lieutenant," agreed Kayto, putting a hand on Kryska's shoulder that was in equal parts camaraderie and caution. "But the war's not over yet."

"Sir!" Kryska spun to face him and saluted, as though sensing his inner turmoil. "I promise you, you will not regret your decision to trust the Alliance!"

"I'll keep you to your word then, Lieutenant," smiled Kayto, knowing at heart that trusting the Alliance and trusting Kryska were two very separate issues. Nevertheless, he felt the question ease slightly in his mind. "You have my gratitude… for everything. For flying as one of us, for watching my back on Ongess… that was a dicy situation that you got us out of…"

"Of course," Kryska's lips curled in a small, tight smile, eyes shining. "I'd gladly protect you again, Captain! The _Sunrider_ …" Kryska's voice took on a thoughtful tone. "The _Sunrider's_ different than any other ship I've served on. Something that goes beyond anything as banal as Alliance or Ceran. There's a lack of discipline here, but something else keeps the crew together. Something you and your crew have extended to me since I came aboard. Something I've had precious little of since joining the Alliance Navy." Catching Kayto's eye, Kryska flushed slightly. "I mean no disrespect, Sir! I just mean to say… it is not merely duty or my assignment from the Admiral that keeps me here. The _Sunrider_ … is my home now. And everyone here, my friends… my family."

Kayto's smile widened as he felt his heart swell, his gaze sweeping across the CIC and finding bright, shining faces looking back at him, the men and women who had stood with him shoulder-to-shoulder so that this moment would be a reality. "Yeah… Family."


End file.
